When the Night Wind Blows
by RabidMantisGirl
Summary: Laena is a junior in high school, and trying to get through her life to better things. When a red-haired boy, however, becomes a part of her life, she finds new friends, and a lot more going for her than she ever imagined. It's crazy.I hope you enjoy!
1. So It Begins

Hello all! Greetings from the land where reality is fuzzy, and the one-person population has no life. So, as I sat there during Christmas vacation pondering on what to do next, I decided, 'hey, let's write some crap.' So here we are, and I am a dork, and I hope you find some kind of retarded amusement out of this piece of (cough) literature. Bon voyagee!

* * *

_Ok, 30 more minutes, and one more class and then you're done for the day._

Laena calmly thought, trying to reassure herself that she wasn't going to break down.

_30 more minutes, 30 more… No! It's terrible! I can't make it! I have no hope, Help! Get me out!_

She paused only to lend a reluctant ear to the droning teacher.

_Mother Fucker!

* * *

_

Thirty-two minutes later, Laena trudged down the hall on to her next class. Her boots felt unnaturally heavy this afternoon. The blue-flamed laces stared ominously up at her. She stared right back.

_Must have…CAFFEINE!_

Somehow she made it to her last class and dropped her bag down with a thud, proceeding then to collapse into her seat in the back corner. She sprawled onto her desk for a moment, and then roused herself to dig blindly in her bag for her book. With a burst of renewing triumph, she pulled it out of her bag and a piece of gum.

_Yes, gum…_ she praised. _I'm going to need it if I am not to kill anyone today._ She thought pessimistically, as she glared at her mostly freshmen Spanish class.

_Friggin' spazes._

She began reading her book, waiting for class to begin. When she had finally gotten into the story, a person with a hat… wait, no. That was his HAIR. oookeeeyyy…. umm, caught her eye.

_Shit._

She gasped to herself as the kid gracefully floated down the aisle, and took the empty seat on her left.

Sarcastically she thought, _That's some hair, kid. _And then her irony sank in. _He's probably some freshman. Darn. He's good-looking. **Friggin' freshmen**._

The source for the bitterness behind the girl is the fact that Laena is a Junior in high school. She needed another language for her college applications, so she took Spanish 1, which unbeknownst to her at the beginning of the year, was full of the failing freshmen from the year prior. She hated them so! On top of that, she wasn't a very social person either. On occasion, she would have a small chat with the kids around her corner, but not today. For, today was Monday. And Mondays suck ass.

So she retreated to her book once again, trying to expand her mind, rather than her temper. It took her a few minutes before she realized the kid with the loud hair was ironically mute beside her. It took her another minutes to see a group of girls were going to engulf her comfort zones to flirt with the poor kid.

Damnit.

In an irrational impulse, she leaned over to the boy with red hair and green eyes, and warned,

"Watch out. You're about to be interrogated."

He gave her a hard stare, almost as if he _actually_ believed he was in danger, but then she flicked a glance towards the oncoming mass and he relaxed. He was about to say something right when the first girl asked a question and cut Laena out of view. She sat back with a chuckle, and continued reading.

_Well, at least now I'm in a good mood. _She laughed. "No shit."

…**With a crack of thunder, and a flash of lightning, at that precise moment, a shot rang out. The vampire jerked, and his face drained of any amusement. His head snapped up. She held out her left gun, still smoking, no face seen under the veil. The vampire looked up at her with a glare that could have stilled the bravest of-**

"Hola, classe!"

"Meh" Laena grumbled as the teacher began talking, and she put her book away.

"Today we have a new student." She gestured to the boy with the crimson locks. "I see some of you have already acquainted yourselves. This is Suichi, who just moved to the U.S."

That got quite a few admiring _oo's_ from the class.

Laena glanced at the boy, noticing the slightly annoyed expression on his face, and chuckled to herself as she began to fill out the worksheet coming down the row.

When she was finished, which was about 10 minutes before everyone else, she took out her notebook and a sharpie marker and began sketching fun lettering on the back side. Then a part of a song came into her head. _"Drink up, shoot it. Let the beatings begin. Distributor of Pain, your loss becomes my gain."_ So she began the infamous lettering of METALLICA with the marker. (Speaking of which. If anyone has seen the newer season of YYH, did you notice that Kuwabara, a few episodes prior to being kidnapped, ditched Yusuke to go see a 'MEGALLICA' show? Ha!)

In the process of this logo, she began nodding her head to the song, which had coincidentally, become stuck there.

The boy next to her, noticing the movement, as he finished his paper, looked over, and frowned, obviously confused by her behavior. Then he looked at the book, and he sighed, realizing the cause for the abnormal action.

"Have you ever seen them in concert?" He whispered to Laena. Her movements ceased, and her arm instinctively moved to cover the design. She looked up at him, bewildered, but then the teacher noticed them.

"Laena, why don't you get started on our next assignment with Suichi? You're an upper classman, you know what's going on." She gave them the assignments, and they briefly scanned it, but Laena just sat back in her chair. She took a deep breath to calm her annoyance while Suichi moved his desk closer.

"Hi, I'm Suichi." The boy said. He held his hand out in friendly greeting, but Laena stared at it like it was some deformed thing.

_Fine. For today we will be accepting._

She decided, as she snapped out of her inner thought, and smiled tiredly.

"You speak English very well." She complimented as she shook his hand.

"So, have you ever seen them?" He asked again.

_Persistent, isn't he?_ She thought to herself. "Actually, yes. In October. I thought it was the coolest thing ever." she said shaking her head with a smile. But then the smile vanished, and she got a challenging expression. "Why, have you?"

Suichi just sat back, and said "No."

Laena frowned. "Do you even like them, or are you trying to start up conversation?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, I do like them." He answered a bit eagerly, "I only got into them about a few months ago though._"_ He finished with a smile.

Laena's eye brows rose in approval. "So, why are you taking Spanish 1?" she asked, semi accepting him.

"College Transcripts." He laughed.

* * *

By the time the bell rang, Laena and Suichi were walking out of the class laughing. He had noticed her 'Damn, I'm good' t-shirt, and inquired about it, and she told him the seemingly stretched tale. 

_Maybe he's not so bad._ She thought. In the time they spent not doing their work, she had found out he was a junior as well, but he had skipped a grade, because of his giant brain.

(Come on, ladies, we all know he's like a super genius.)-so basically, he's gonna be turning 17 when she turns 18.

After the two had departed in their separate ways, Laena walked down to the Dunkin Doughnuts down the street for her caffeine pick-me up. Once she got her HAZELNUT COFFEE she went home. She had her headphones on, able to listen to the actual Harvester Of Sorrow. YES.

* * *

"Done!" Laena yelled as she pummeled her pencil to her desk. There was still enough light out to go for a walk, so she gathered her camera and her army jacket and left. 

She walked to the woods that bordered the school property, not only because of their spectacular trees, but because the woods were on a hill, and over-looked the valley.

Armed with her camera, she began snapping shots here and there of the sunlight, and animals, SUCH AS SQUIRRELS!

And then during all of this picture-taking, her cd player reached the chorus of Master Of Puppets.

"Taste me you will see, more is all you need. You're dedicated to how I'm killing you!" she sang aloud as she focused and snapped another shot. When the image stilled in the viewing screen, she caught a glimpse of something in the bush. "What is that?"

She looked up at the area, but didn't see anything. She turned her camera onto the viewer, and brought the picture up. There was a black hazy area in the right corner.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes, and her head shot back up. She looked just in time to see _something_.

Because of human curiosity, Laena meandered over to the bush, stopped 2 feet in front of it, and handled the situation the way any mature adult would.

She threw rocks at the bush.

Nothing happened as she stared dumbly at the shrubbery. (I'm Roger the Shrubber) Growling, she marched over, berating herself for being afraid. In the middle of her anger, she thrust her hands into the bush, and spread it apart with a ferocity to match a pro-wrestler's.

Nothing.

She almost cried with relief. She really believed for a second that something was there. So she took a deep breath, and listened to the sounds, catching Master just as it ended. She looked up, and saw the sun was setting.

_Oh, wow. I better get back. _She thought, but not before snapping a few more shots of the sunset.

She circled slowly, every point a different cloud and color. "Oh, it's beautiful." she sighed, right when she turned to take another shot.

"Yeah, beautiful like you are to eat." Came a slithery voice from her left.

She jumped when she heard the intruding voice, and aimed the camera, inadvertently taking his picture.

She looked up, way up, at the grotesque pushed-in face, lined with horns, and fangs, and evil features.

Her mouth dropped.

She couldn't scream. The movement impulse wasn't making it to her brain.

"What was that about tasting ya?" the huge demon grinned. "And killing you?"


	2. Damage Inc

He moved toward Laena, his bones making a sickening crack each time he moved.

Laena still couldn't run. She couldn't even drool. Well, ok, maybe a little..._What is that wet drip on your shoulder?!_

_Laena! Get a hold of yourself! Go!_ She screamed at herself. She glanced around, and found feeling in her legs when she spotted the tree line.

With quick thinking, she popped the flash open on her camera. It was pretty dark now.

_1, 2, 3... _She raised her camera right when the demon tried to grab her, and let the flash lash out- long and hard.. (You know when there's that multiple flash timer?)

The demon jumped back at the burst of REALLY bright light with a growl of rage.

Laena remembered how to move, and RAN LIKE HELL! ... in the opposite direction... For crying out loud.

She swung herself under the demon's legs, and ran.

"What the hell was that?!" she yelled. She was a few yards from the edge of the woods. She could see more sunlight, the last beams barely blinking over the hills.

_Sun! Yes!_ She thought. And then she saw the shadow loom over her, and she yelled "NO!" with a growl.

The demon grabbed her army coat, which was practically flapping like a flag behind her, she was going so fast.

He grabbed it, and pulled, reeling her in.

She screamed out of surprise and anguish as she fell to the ground and was being dragged backwards.

Clawing at the ground for support, she tried kicking the demon away, but to no avail. The demon, being much larger than she, got hold of her by her waste, and with one hand, ran his thumb down her form.

"Mmmm..." he said as he began to turn back into the forest, "Shall I keep your skin, or feed it to my hounds?"

Her coat fell off in the struggle, and she had nothing more than a loose tank on, leaving her arms and chest bare.

She began to shiver.

The weather was cold, yes, but this wasn't the shiver for outer temperature. This was out of fear. She tried squirming out of his clamp-hold, but she was pinned. "Oh, God, help me!" she whispered. She looked up at the last ray of sunlight and thought it would be her last, with that hazy spot on the horizon.

Wait, what? She blinked, lifting her head to look again. There wasn't anything there.

And then she heard a wooshing noise, accompanied by a 'sling', and snapped her head upward just in time to see another hazy spot by the demon's neck.

"What?" she asked quietly.

Then she heard a growl, followed by a groan, that seemed to rise up from the bowels of the creature who held her captive.

Suddenly, he clutched his neck, and fell to one knee.

Finally, a terrible gargle came out from his throat and he collapsed all together.

Laena, still squeezed in his hand, fell hard, scratching her shoulder on a rock as the hand flew down.

"Uhh!" she groaned as absorbed both the pain as well as the impact.

Then, when her gaze fell towards the head, she saw a man, wait no, a midget! (Hairy midgets!) No. A short person with about 2 feet of hair appeared by the demon's head. ahem Anyway...

With one ferocious display of power, he drove his sword into the skull, finishing the kill.

Amazed and frightened, Laena's eyes went wide, and scrambled to get out of the limp hand. She hissed when she grazed her shoulder, and a thin line of blood began to run down her arm as she got up.

The man didn't even acknowledge her.

"What the Hell was that?" she practically shrieked as she stared at the dead demon.

The man only glanced at her once, and yanked his sword from the corpse, and wiped the soiled edges on a piece of cloth. Then his attention seemed to avert as he caught a scent on the air.

"You better go home." he said, still wiping his sword. "Not unless you want another encounter." (Close encounters of the third kind! 'This means something.') he said as he vaguely gestured to her bleeding arm.

Laena frowned, trying to find some kind of answer in his face, but he had a carefully neutral mask. She blinked, and glanced at her throbbing shoulder, and then looked back toward where the man was.

But the area was vacant. No trace of anyone. That is, except for the huge body of a demon. But, ya know...

Her jaw dropped, and she turned in all directions searching for her savior. The forest was dead silent.

So she picked up her camera, and scooped her coat up as she walked out of the woods slightly dazed.

_Shit. _She thought. _What **was** that? _

Just then, a shiver wracked her body, and she crossed her arms for heat. However, doing so made her flinch when her hand pressed against the shallow wound.

"Ow, what?" she asked no one as she looked at her cut. _Great. How am I going to explain this?

* * *

_

"What happened here?"came the quietly calm voice of one _foxy_ demon as he stepped under the tree. (Haha haha that was so stupid...)

"Some ningen almost got herself killed." The fire demon in the tree casually replied.

The red haired fox demon looked around. "Did she have brown hair and an army coat?" he snorted, smelling the air.

"In fact, the little idiot came out during sunset literally screaming 'kill me'." The Fox snorted again, but this time slightly amused. "So, she _almost_ got killed, did she?" He inquired after a brief silence.

"If you want me to admit to saving a ningen, you're out of your sanity." the little fire demon snapped, not bothering to get down from the tree.

The Fox smiled, and quietly said "Thank you, Hiei." as he turned and left.

"Idiot onna." The fire demon muttered as he closed his eyes again.

* * *

Once, there was a girl who could sleep until 8:00. She could sleep, and when she woke up she felt rested, and wasn't in constant need of caffeine.

And sheep can fly.

After the very rude awakening brought on by the alarm clock, Laena sat up with a fright. The only positive thing about that wake up was the fact that Kashmir was on. So she turned the volume down, and listened as she blindly groped around the room for her lantern switch. 'Click'

"Aaahhhhhhh..." she almost yelled as her hand slapped over her eyes.

Once her eyes adjusted, she began making her bed. The song finished right when she glanced at the clock.

"5:50 is a beastly hour to be up." she quietly grumbled to herself.

Then she stumbled into the bathroom to finish what the clock began.

* * *

Exactly 45 minutes later, after her morning routine of watching music videos for 20 minutes and eating, and taking care of left over things, Laena found herself walking down the road, Foamy travel mug in hand. (5 more minutes...)

The small wound on her arm she had meticulously disinfected and wrapped. The use of alcohol, peroxide and iodine were what did the job. And the iodine finished it, that was for sure. As soon as she let a drop fall she was grinding her teeth to stop from yelling. (That stuff stings!)

Enamored in her Tool sweatshirt and a pair of boot cut jeans, she strode down the shoulder of the road, yelling at passing cars.

When she began walking across the driveway of a culdasac of houses, she noticed one door swing open on the corner house. A boy with red hair walked out in a denim jacket and denim black pants. And yes, he did have a pair of green converse.

(Oh, Kurama, in a pair of Chuck's. Mmmmm....that's AWESOME!)

He looked up at the same time Laena came into view, and his face lit up. "Hey, Laena!" He called.

Laena looked up, like she was surprised, and recognized the boy. "Hey, Suichi." She returned with a tired smile.

Suichi caught up to her, and joined in her stride to school.

"Oh, man, I should have brought some coffee." he said, noticing her mug.

"Have you ever seen Foamy?" Laena asked, indicating the cup.

"Mmmhmmm. I like the one where they go to Star Schmuck's." Laena laughed, remembering that cartoon.

"What about Five More Minutes? Isn't that one hysterical? '5 more minutesss...you're not up, I start electrocuting you with a toaster and the bath tub.'"

They laughed again (wow, this is corny) and walked in companionable silence.

Then Laena had to scratch her arm, and she ended up hitting it too low, and scratched her bandages.

"Ow." she flinched. "What's wrong?" Suichi asked, a little startled by the noise.

"Oh, I don't know, I think I had a dream that I was being chased by this monster. He was huge, and grotesque, and it was so weird because it was extremely vivid. I must have dreamt it. And this guy showed up, with this black hair, with this white zigzag, and he killed it, but then he wasn't there anymore, and... I don't know what to make of it." Laena finished defeated.

"So, how does that hurt?" He asked very confused. "Oh, when the man killed the monster, I fell onto a rock and hurt my arm. But that was in the dream. And then, when I must have woken up, I realized I had a matching gash, and I took the liberty upon myself to clean it."

"That is so bizarre." Suichi shook his head. But something sounded fake about the way he said it.

* * *

The week at school seemed interminable, but it somehow ended. Suichi was accepted as a friend, and not someone to beat up, which was plus on his part.

(Even though, Kurama could have taken her. Yeah, that's right.)

Laena came home, finished whatever homework she had, and called Suichi to make plans for the next day.

She watched a little Seinfeld, and went up to her room to listen to music and draw.

During the chorus of a Slipknot song she fell into _the zone_.

(Or _SlipKnot_ if we really want to be special... phshaw... --)

In the big sketch book, and with her shading ebony pencils she managed to sketch the visage of a beautiful man, with long, slightly wavy locks. His eyes, however, held something brutal in them. A gleam of power and destruction that his face belied.

She finished the drawing with some shading, making her fingers completely blackened.

When she fell out of _the zone_, she stared with awe by the sheer implication that this face had come from her mind, and became tangible with her talent.

She rubbed her face in contemplation, and then added one more detail, and finally dated and wrote the song listened to in the corner .

Satisfied, she got up from her seat, and was just about to grab her door knob when she noticed her blackened fingers, and then the underside of her arm.

"Hmmm." she said as she opened the door, and went straight to the bathroom, only to see that she indeed **had** touched her face, and was now Smudge Girl.

* * *

Chapter 2. Maybe next time we'll have a little character interaction at the end. 


	3. Heaven Beside You

Ackie: Ok, who here likes Metallica?

(Most raise hands)

Hiei: Hn

Ackie: Oh, c'mon, Hiei, you know you like them!

(Hiei rolls eyes)

Ackie: I mean, look at you. You practically scream _Metallica/Slayer_. Look at Demon Lord Raenef IV's position. His theme is the 'Thorn Within'. (Notices Kurama) Though, Kurama is more of a _Nirvana_ guy. Yeah, I definitely see you in denim and Connies.

Kenshin: What about _Korn_?

Ackie: No. I don't know. You're more of a leather jacket guy. Mmmm, _Metallica/Pantera_? Definitely _Black Sabbath. _You know, with that whole IRON MAN thing going on. (Yeah, that's right. Kenshin IS Iron Man.)

Kurama: We're missing someone.

Ackie: (Looks around) Oh! Sano! You, my man are a _Rage_ Fan. Maybe even _Zeppelin_. But only because of your hair and shirt. I'll think about it.

Sesshomaru: ahem

Ackie: Sessho! Pop in a _Ratt_, and the_ Crue_, and you are the essence of spandex and Aqua Net!

* * *

**The idea of staying** in one's room all night was absurd. Especially when that person is still wired from some 4 O'clock coffee, and being in _the Zone_.(Nee nee nee nee)

So of course, Laena snuck out of her window, seeing as it was now 12 am, and a Friday. That, and the moon was out, in it's full harvest-gold glory.

She wandered back to the Forest behind the school, already deciding what happened 4 days ago was a dream. Nothing like **that** could **ever** happen.

Clad in her peacoat and boots, that looked well-loved, she swished through the leaves on the forest floor. The last sign of Fall.

She found a very tall tree at the center. One that loomed over many of the others, giving a perfect view of the full moon. She began to climb, searching for the right spot to sit.

Quite a ways up, she found it, and perched herself next to the trunk. The branch was nice and wide, enough to sprawl her feet on.

Content, she slipped her headphones on and pushed play on her walkman. The mournful chords of Heart-Shaped Box began to reverberate as she watched the golden glow of the moon before her.

Laena sat back and sighed, perfectly at peace.

(Haaaaaaa.)

Suddenly, a small shadow cast itself over her, and she jumped, almost losing her balance. When she looked up, nothing was there, and she figured it was probably just some bird.

But then she felt some weight at the end of the branch, and strained to see to the end. She squinted, but could barely make out a shadowy silhouette. _Hmmmm..._ she wondered to herself. Slipping her headphones onto her shoulders, Laena leaned forward.

"What are you doing out here?"

Laena jumped with a small yelp and began to slip off the branch. Her eyes darted around nervously, and then a pair of garnet eyes pushed through the darkness, causing her to lose her already precarious grip.

Laena fell out of her perch, and she screamed.

Just as she thought she would become nothing more than a mutilated mass on the ground, something grabbed her. Held her.

She opened her eyes after a moment and looked around, shocked.

_Arms?_

"What?" She caught sight of a broad shoulder, and then her eyes traveled up to the stranger's face. Those garnet eyes were looking down on her. He seemed to be made of shadow.

Laena's breathing hitched as she stared into those seemingly endless pools of fire.

"Are you unhurt?"

His voice was like a refined bass.

"Oh, thank you." she sighed, still in shock, as she wrapped her arms around him in one very grateful hug.

His eyes widened and he began to pull away. _What is this, hugging?_ He asked in thought, very surprised and disgusted. He pulled his arms out from under her, in an attempt to push her away, but having her upper torso practically tied to his, she brought both of them down.

"Ow" she yelped, when she landed on her cut.

The figure was completely taken by surprise when he found himself on top of the girl, and rolled away with lightning speed.

Laena sat up, hand over wound, and looked around, dazed. She blinked, and shook her head to try to make sense of the world.

* * *

Aha! Well, that was exciting!

thank you for your emails! I feel so special. And the of course the excitment caused me to squeal when Duality came on the Radio, and of course, because my hair is down, I have to head bang. So if my next few sentences are a little incoherent, that's why.

Hiei: What are you talking about? You're always incoherent.

Ackie: No. Well, wait, maybe, yess.

Kurama: It's kind of like the nature of the beast.

Ackie: mumbling to herself you will all face my squirrely wrath! It's one of our HIDDEN nature things.

Kurama: whispering just walk away.

* * *

Final note for the night.

1) there was band called SNOT. They are not that bad.

2) this is the last chapter I have written. There are pieces of other ones, but for nowI need to finish the next, so it may be a few days before the next installment. I kind of went nuts on the last one.

Sorry. i know, it's just so enthralling.

No, reli. i know we are a pathetic bunch, and yet we are not fazed.

JUSTICE RANGERS UNITE!


	4. Merry Go Round

The next day, after Laena woke up at 9:30, and berated herself for it being too late, she met Suichi at the Dunkin Doughnuts in town. "Caffeine." she practically yelled. So she hung out with him for a good part of the day, and told him about the events of the night prior.

When they got to Suichi's house, she was amazed by all of the artifacts he had in his room. They looked like they had come from all over the world. But there was no color on the walls. "Don't worry Suichi," she said, "'ll paint your room up real artsy fartsy, and it'll look awesome, like mine." She had said, before they spent the rest of the day rocking out to Oleander.

However, she had met his Mother prior, and then found the boy also had a passion for plants. There was a certain rose bush that intrigued her, and inspired her to draw a picture of Roger the Shrubber. This picture, she stapled to a stake and then drove it into the ground next to the rose shrub. "Can never have too much British humor, is what I say." she said.

Suichi seemed to think that the ordeal with the rescuer in the woods was still there. And that she should try to confront him, and if he were a psycho to bring a rubba hose.

(More effective than a hand gun, harder than a brick...)

When she got to her house, and watched an episode of Justice League to build her confidence, she went up to her room, and took out again, the big sketch pad, and her pastel crayons. She fashioned a pleasing picture , rolled it up, fingers still stained by the crapauds, laced up her boots, and set out.

* * *

Meandering into the woods at about the same time as the night before, she found the tree in the middle of the forest, and looked up towards the top.

With a sigh, she stuffed the picture in her pocket and began to climb- not very well- to the branch she sat on only a day ago.

And, once there, she sat, and waited.

And waited and waited and waited.

"What the fuck?" she mumbled a slouched in disappointment. (I know how to spell!)

Laena was just about to make up her mind to leave when she heard a rustle in the leaves, and shadow fell over her.

"Do you have a death wish?" came that refined voice, with a slightly annoyed undertone.

Again, she jumped, almost in repeat of the night before, but to save themselves the embarrassment, the figure caught her arm, hauling her back on to her perch.

"Will you stop just appearing out of nowhere?" She hissed at him in a hushed voice. The man stepped back, seeming like he would depart.

"No, wait." Laena pleaded. He went still, but kept his aloof look on his face.

"I wanted to- would you sit down, please?" she asked getting nervous and frustrated already. (Should have watched the Wonder Woman episode)

He didn't move. Instead, "Onna, why do you come back time and again to the place you almost lost your life _twice?_" He asked, crossing his arms. Laena stopped and stared at him. "You know what?" she asked a bit challengingly, "That is a great question." she looked away to think of a reason, and then felt the tension of the branch lessen.

She looked over to where the Figure was standing, but he was gone, again. Giving up after looking around, but with no sight of him, Laena hooked her feet, and began to lean backward, swinging up side down on the branch. She crossed her arms and cursed.

* * *

_What is she doing?_ The figure thought, as he watched her from another tree. And with a scowl, he got up, and jumped up the big tree again, and appeared on the branch below the swinging human. "Why are you here, onna?" He asked tiredly.

Laena stared at him for a moment, and then mumbled something under her breath before she pulled upward to get something from her pocket. "Here."

The man raised an eyebrow skeptically as he raised his arm to accept the rolled paper. As soon as he took it he sat back down, against the tree, and unrolled it, keeping his unsure eye on the human.

She watched with apprehension as he opened it, but began to talk, a little nervous. "I drew it as a meager thank you gift ." She explained as she swung upward, and balanced her self on the branch for a moment. Then she grabbed her coat and slipped down to his level. "Ya know, for saving me... twice, or once... I'm not really sure right now." The figure snorted before he finally looked down at the picture.

He sucked in his breath as he took in what he saw. A woman- no, a _girl_ with her arms outstretched, wearing a simple gown, twirling in the snow. He gazed at the face, with the eyes a vermillion he knew only all too well.

"Where did you get this?" He asked in shock laced with a threatening tone.

Laena frowned. "I drew it." she replied carefully. "I like the snow, and the winter, and I remembered, for some odd reason, _your_ red eyes..." she laughed nervously. _Oh, man..._ "Watch your fingers on it." She warned, holding out her own color-stained hand.

He just looked back at the picture, ignoring her. A awkward silence ensued, and Laena felt like she was going to scream.

"So..." _oh, yeah, real nice._ "What are you doing in the woods?" She paused for a moment. "_Every night?_"

No answer.

She narrowed her eye at him. "Do you just wait for damsels in distress?" She asked dramatically and added a huffy noise for effect.

The figure snorted, rolling the drawing up. "You, onna, are no damsel." Laena gave a teasing look at him. All he did was lean back against the tree, crossed his arms and shut his eyes. Laena arched her head to one side. "Aren't you cold?" she asked, noticing his bare arms. (Drool)

"No." the only movement was from his mouth. She shivered and rubbed her arms, forgetting about the newly re-opened cut. "Ow.. Damnit." she griped, looking down at it. "Where did this come from?" She whispered more to herself.

The man opened one eye. "You landed on a rock." he sighed and closed his eye again.

"Really? Last night? Well, that makes sense."

"No, not last night." he said in a strangled voice. "Four nights ago."

"Yeah, but I dreamt that." she argued. He didn't make any more movement, so she figured he fell asleep.

Wait. _Sleep?_ How could he just _go to sleep_ while she was talking to him? _Nervy little prick._ Then it dawned on her. _Remember, you're talking to some guy who lives in a tree._

(Tree!)

Shrugging on her coat, with a frustrated sigh, Laena prepared to get down the tree. Before doing so, however, she paused and said quietly, "Thank you again. My name is Laena, by the way." (Oh, that sucked so bad.) And then she dropped from the branch, and climbed down the remainder of the tree.

The man opened one eye when he knew she was gone, and then he heard her jump to the ground.

* * *

She began to walk away after her not-so-graceful landing, when she heard a rustle of leaves above her, and then that refined voice ring from the shadows.

"Hiei."

A smile spread across her face, and then she went on her merry way.

* * *

Oh, man, did that thoroughly suck?

Well, that's the next installment. It might be while before the next chapter, because I still have to think it up.

Of course.

I have been stricken with an ailment for the past three days, and have not been motivated to write anything, or do much of anything for that matter.

So, I'm sorry for the crappiness of this chapter.

Kurama: But at least you got to watch three movies on Friday.

Ackie: yeah, The Naked Gun, Pirates of the Carribean, and LOTR Two Towers. With my dad. I love the part when they meet King Theoden, and they start kickin' ass like the WWE.

Sano: Yeah? I missed it.

Ackie: It was cool. And Aragorn and Eomer were just about the coolest things since... um, individually wrapped cheese. Yeah. Cheese.

Au revoir, mes enfants des bon bons!


	5. Pennyroyal Tea

Ok, I'm going to warn you. This is a crazy chapter. I'm high on pretzels and fun music, please don't freak out. It's not a permanent deal. The next chapter I already wrote, so that will be semi-normal. Good luck

* * *

Two weeks have passed since the informal meeting of Hiei. The crazy man who lived in trees. 

But he was cool. Even though he was very quiet, he listened to what Laena had to say-or she liked to think that anyway. It didn't really bother her.

And she almost rubbed her crazy love of her music into him. Another week, and he'll be begging to go to a Metallica Concert, she was sure of it.

(Oh, man)

* * *

This day, however was a Wednesday, and Laena being the little unpredictable child she was decided to show up below the tree after school. 

She spotted the spiky-haired man about a mile off, and ducked behind a tree. A grin slowly spread across her face, a malevolent twinkle finding its way into her eyes. She got up and ran, ducking behind trees, quietly humming the Mission Impossible Theme.

_1-2- 10!_ She counted in her head, and got ready for the kill.

"WHOA!!!!!!!!!!" Laena yelled excitedly, as she vaulted into the air and across the remaining feet to drop onto an unsuspecting Spiky-haired individual.

(Ya know in Megas XLR when Coop yells 'whoa'? Like that.)

Hiei looked around for the source of the unfeigned joy, and turned his head upward just in time to see the human coming in for a landing square on his shoulders.

"Hiei!" she chirped as she locked her arms around him and squeezed.

They both went down, this time, Laena was the one to be unfazed. Hiei pushed her off immediately with a huff and a growl.

"Whatcha doin'?" Laena asked happily, knowing she was being pesty.

"What the hell was that?" he asked angrily.

"A greeting." And then she made her eyes big in a challenging stare. Hiei just rolled his eyes and brushed himself off. "So what did you do today?" She asked falling into usual conversation.

As usual as you're going to get with a crazy little man who dwells in trees, mind you.

"Hn." Was all he replied with as he turned his back to her.

Simmering with annoyance, Laena too, got up with narrowed eyes, and began to walk past him. "Ya wanna know what _I_ did?" She stopped walking and turned around, knowing what his response would be. "I hung out with my friend Suichi."

He raised his eyes to her's when she mentioned the name. Her eyebrow rose in intrigue, but she didn't say anything.

"Yeah, he's really cool. Last weekend, we went to the park, and we sword fought with spatchulas, and wearing Viking helmets." All of Hiei's movements ceased upon hearing that.

_No way._

"Anyway," she paused for a moment, and then a smile spread across her face. "Hey! Let's go get Java!" Hiei had time to look up at her like she was crazy before she clamped a hand around his wrist, and dragged him to the Dunkin Doughnuts down the street.

Once they got to the doors, Laena pushed him through, and he stumbled to the counter. "Hello. We would like 2 hazel nut coffees, and a blueberry scone!" She tried really hard to keep her voice down, but it was just so exciting that it was scone.

They waited for their order, and then she pushed Hiei over to a table.

"Do that again, Onna, and I'll rip out your throat." hesnarled at her as he reluctantly sat in a chair.

Laena gave him the big-eyed challenging stare again, and shoved his drink over to him. "It might be hot."

The stare delivered to her seemed almost as molten as the drink.

"Would you like some scone?"

"What?" he asked with confused annoyance.

"Food." was all she said as she broke a piece off and stuck it on a napkin in front of him.

All he did was cross his arms. So in response, Laena sat back in her chair, and crossed her arms, staring at him, trying to make him feel uncomfortable.

Didn't really work. He was really good at this game.

So she gave him the Stink Eye, (which is when one eye is either open or bigger than the other.) And sipped her coffee. "You know you want it."

He still didn't do anything. Ok he was REALLY REALLY good at this game.

"Oh, for crap sake's." she muttered. "Do it for me? I'll be your best friend!" she mock-pleaded.

(My friend Katie says that all the time. Hi Katie!)

He narrowed his eyes at her, and leaned forward. "You are exhausting Onna. I've killed for less." Laena leaned forward too, putting her elbow in the center of the table. She opened her mouth as if to say something, and then with the free hand, put the scone up to her mouth and took a bite. And chewed, staring him right in the eye.

"Eat." was all she said and she scooted the coffee closer. He looked down at the drink, and let out an exasperated sigh.

Laena smiled triumphantly as he picked up the drink and took a sip. Her smile grew larger when she saw his eyes light up.

He hid his look of surprise, but she knew it was there. So the two sipped their caffeine in companionable silence for a few minutes before Hiei eyed the lump of confectionary goodness before him.

Laena ate hers quietly, and watched as he tentatively picked up his piece and placed a few crumbs in his mouth. He chewed, and then his eyes met her's.

He immediately straightened in his chair and stopped chewing.

Laena rolled her eyes. "So, why do you live in the woods?" She asked quietly so no one would over-hear.

"That's none of your business." He snapped, finishing his scone. "Whatever." Laena muttered, knowing she wouldn't get a straight answer from him.

"How old are you?" she asked out of the blue. He delivered a stare that should have left her bleeding.

"Fine." she said irritably. She looked out the window, and watched the wind play in the swaying trees. "Hey, ya know what my brother did the other day?"

Hiei looked up at her when she said that.

She noticed that whenever she would mention her brother he would get interested.

"He was visiting from College, so he was home for the weekend, and he took me ice skating. So there we are, these two crazy-looking kids on skates pushing ourselves around the rink, with these on-lookers." She shook her head with a smile across her face. "And he picks me up, and lifts me over his head, and he starts to like, glide across the ice, and I'm freaking out because I think he'll drop me, and all of these people are watching me, and it was just ridiculous. So, when it came time for him to put me down, because there was a rink director yelling at us, Shemus can't quite come to a stop with out toppling us both, and he can't get me down with out stopping.And we almost crash into another kid before I wiggle out of his grasp, and then he trips over his own foot, and both of us end up sailing to the floor, and sliding about 10 feet in two different directions, causing people to jump out of the way, or join us. It was so much fun, and it was just something he would do." she was laughing by now.

Hiei, although showing slight interest had an expression of confused horror. "It was fun." she said defensively.

A phantom of a grin crossed his lips, and he shook his head.

Laena missed it, however. "So, do you have any siblings?" She asked, keeping her eyes on him.

He became rigid at the mention of a sibling, and glared at her. "You do?" she gasped at him. His glare increased.

"Is it a brother or sister? Are they older than you? How many?" she asked excitedly.

Hiei still didn't say anything. Laena narrowed her eyes at him. "Why won't you tell me?" she asked with a trace of a sulking tone.

He sighed, exasperated.

"What do you want to do now, Onna?" he asked tiredly. "Why do you call me that?" she asked, oblivious to the previous subject. He looked at her questioningly. "Onna. What does it mean?" All he did was raise his eyebrow, and get up.

* * *

Once they were outside, Laena put a few bills into her wallet. 

"Hey, do you want to see what my brother looks like?" she asked, figuring this was the only topic he would be remotely interested in.

She held out a small photo of a boy with swanky, wavy brown hair that curved to about his neck. He had blueish- hazel eyes shadowed by thick, dark eyebrows. He had two rings in his lower lip, and a bit of a shaggy chin. He had the same laughing smile Laena flashed all the time.

Hiei looked down, and said "He looks like you." "Yeah, that's what people tell me." she said as she looked lovingly down at the picture. "I miss him." She was silent for a little while, and then she asked "Do you miss your siblings?"

"More than you can imagine." was all he replied. Laena frowned, hearing his sorrow in the comment, but then that mischievous grin settled over her lips, and she looked at him.

"So you _do_ have a sibling."

Hiei's jaw locked, and he began to grind his teeth. "Fucking Onna." he muttered. Laena just giggled.

* * *

Ackie: Mmm, pretzels. I think in the next chapter, or the next ACTION-PACKED chapter I will include a soundtrack list. Mmmm, Music. 

And it's great because this weekend on the Rock 106.9, WCCC, they're having a Some Kind Of Monster Week End. Two Metallica songs every hour, baby!

It is, indeed, very exciting!

Kurama: So what have you done this weekend, before Mid-terms?

Ackie: Nothing, except running across highways, shoveling driveways, finishing my art project, going mad with my computer, reading fanfics, and losing my mind because of misspelled words, and reading my book, The Invisible Ring. Oh, and I danced to that Poison song- Talk Dirty To Me. Oh, the 80's...

I must know if Jared is a Warlord or a Warlord Prince. Because Warlord Princes are sexy.(Grin)

Lucivar:(flashes brash smile) Yeah, I know.

Ackie: I love you. Would you like a pretzel?


	6. Glorious Wastings

??????????????????????????????????**alternate ending!**?????????????????????????????????

to the last chapter.......

Kurama heard a tap on his window. He thought he heard something a few minutes before, but he ignored it, and turned his music up louder.

But this time, he looked at the clock. 8:45

He chewed on this for a minute, and decided, _'What the hell?'_ And he got up from his desk.

He was already on the alert before he got even three feet from the window, noticing a strange aura accompanied this visitor. ("'Tis some visitor.' I muttered") Deceptively calm, Kurama pushed aside the curtain, and peered out the window.

A spiky-haired midget sat precariously on the narrow branch just missing his window by 2 feet or so.

He had a harried look in his eye, and in exchange for the usual bored expression, there was an anxious, fidgity look on his face.

Kurama's jaw dropped. "Kurama," Hiei whispered in an enthusiastic tone. "Have you ever noticed how the day changes to night** _really_**_ fast?_" he kind of yelled the last part, while flinging his hands up and down.

Kurama just stood there; flabberghasted. _What did he get into?_ "Hiei?" he asked tentatively, not wanting to make him shout again.That harried-amused look filtered into the rest of his features as he bared his teeth in an energetic smile.

Usually that look should be feared. But not when the man was... well, **what** _was_ he on?

"What did.. you.. do?" he asked the last part, with a nervous glance to his left. Hiei leaned forward with that bare-  
tooth smile, and grunted, "Caffeine!" he hissed a laughing noise, and his shoulders began to shake. Then he perched himself on the branch and began to chatter his teeth, and gnaw on his fingers. The whole thing reminded Kurama of a squirrel.

"Oh, Dear God." Kurama muttered, putting his hand on his forehead, and then dragging it down his cheek, until it rested on his chin, and his arms were crossed. He watched his friend stumble on the branch and make a few noises he'd never thought he'd hear from this creature, and sighed.

"Hiei, where did you get caffeine?" The spiky-haired man looked back, and this mischevious grin stretched across his face. The kind of smile that taunted, _'wouldn't **you** like to know?'_

He shook his head, suddenly needing to lie down. "I didn't ask, I don't want to know." He began to shut his window as he watched the man stumble on the tree some more, and practically fall.

"Goodnight, Hiei." He sighed tiredly, and shut and **latched** his window.

* * *

I told you, I'd include a soundtrack! Kick-ass! Weeeee! 

**Soundtrack for this-**

Metallica-Frantic, Outlaw Torn, Master of Puppets, No Leaf Clover, Orion, Some Kind Of Monster, To Live Is To Die, One, The Small Hours, King Nothing, anything metallica

Nine Inch Nails- Closer

The Verve- Bitter-Sweet Symphony

Pantera- Cemetery Gates

Snow Patrol- Run

Green Day- Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Soundgarden- Black Hole Sun

The Exies- Ugly

Korn- Freak On A Leash

A Perfect Circle- Outsider

Ramstein- Du Haste

Bad Company- Bad Company

Godsmack- Voodoo, I Stand Alone

Puddle of Mudd- Away From Me, Think

Slipknot- Duality, Vermillion

Static X- Not Meant For Me

Madonna-

Ronie James Dio- Holy Diver

Drowning Pool- Bodies

No Doubt- I'm Just A Girl

Semisonic- Closing Time

3 Days Grace- Home, Just Like you

White Zombie- Thunderkiss 75

Nirvana- Verse Course Verse, Heart-Shaped Box

* * *

"Suichi, I made a new friend!" Laena chirped as she hopped up and down beside him. 

They were walking through the park, on the side walk near a large fountain. The sun was out, and it was warm for a late November afternoon. The two had become close friends, finding much in common.

On top of it, even though Suichi was a very personable individual, and had made many friends, there was a certain female percentage of the school that hated Laena's guts.

And she savored that jealousy.

She knew it too. She knew he was the hottest boy at school, and the smartest, and probably one of the nicest as well. It was clear he was a catch to anyone.

But he forged a friendship with the Quiet Girl.

Most thought that they were going out, and that was in part, most reason for the hatred directed at her. As for the boys, well, they almost passed out at the mere implication that the dating leper of their grade had found someone.

And Laena never bothered to correct that misconception.

The thing that she loved about the boy was that they bonded so well. He was so different from the other guys, and even her guy friends. He had this mysterious aura about him that intrigued her, yet it was almost as if she could read his thoughts.

Anyway, the two hung out together almost every weekend, rocking out to one band or another, or getting coffee, or doing stupid things like walking into a Home Goods store, Suichi wearing a snorkel mask and blowing through a kazoo as Laena went up to the counter and paid for her purchase, watching the clerk glance at the boy with confusion and fear. (My friend really did that with his sister at a bed, bath & beyond)

"Really? Who is it?" He asked with a chuckle. Laena settled down, and resumed walking normally beside him. "You never met him." she said happily, shaking her head at the same time. Suichi raised his eyebrow inviting her to continue. "He's really neat. Even though he doesn't say much, he's really cool. And like, deep. I know that's corny and cliched...."

"So, it's a he?" Suichi asked, buying into her story. "Where did you meet him?"

"Mmmm,.. He's got these really cool eyes. I've never seen eyes like his." She began again, trying to dart his question.

"Laena..." The scorn in his voice was audible. "Mmmm?" She hummed innocently as her shoes suddenly became very interesting.

Suichi stopped walking to face her. It took about half of a stride to realize he stopped, but Laena kept going. She looked out the corner of her eye just in time to see him stop, and cross his arms. So she stopped, knowing what that posture meant, and bit her lip as she turned around.

"Promise you won't get mad?" She asked almost annoyed, as she stuffed her hands into her large Army coat pockets.

Suichi waited quietly. "Damn you and that posture!" She grumbled as she stalked closer. "Hey, you remember that guy I told you about? The one who saved my life?" Suichi's face dropped a little bit into the 'you didn't' look.

"Well, I went back to the woods after I asked you-with the hose- and I offered him a reward for saving me." Laena could feel his stare as it bore into her.

"Hey, whoa. I drew him a picture." She let out an annoyed breath, and continued. "He's a great guy. He listens to me, and we talk, and his name is Hiei. Isn't that a crazy name?" She laughed feeling EXTREMELY uncomfortable squirming under his emerald green eyes. "Would you stop?!" she yelled, bringing her hands to the sides of her face as she wiggled her fingers in skeeviness.

"Laena-" Suichi was cut off from his lecture when the wind shifted. There was a flavor of aura on that gust, and a tinge of danger. He listened. Everything was mute. The normally noisy atmosphere was silenced.

Laena was just about to ask what was wrong when she felt a stare on her back. She went rigid as she turned around to face whomever was looking at her.

* * *

Ahhh! A Cliffhanger?! 

(laughs)

Oh, that was fun.

Guess what? Some Kind of Monster comes out on DvD today!

Hiei: What kind of Monster?

Ackie: No! The Metallica movie! Geeze, Hiei. I thought you were a fan!

Hiei: Hn.

Ackie: So, hmmm... Oh! I would like everyone to meet Aubrey!

Aubrey: Hello. (evil grin)

Ackie: Aubrey is the coolest vampire EVER. He is totally...kick-ass. I would have used the term 'bad ass' but Lucivar kind of took that cake.

Lucivar: You got that right.

Aubrey: Prick.

Lucicar: Whatever.

Ackie: (really big smile) Well, I guess the only thing to do now is WATCH SOMEKIND OF MONSTER! (hooks arms around both men's) Let's watch Dave Mustaine whine some more!

* * *

Thank you, my Legions, for putting up with my antics. 

And my character guest appearences.

Um, next chapter is totally ACTION PACKED!

Read it! Become President!

It's Exciting!


	7. Cemetery Gates

**Her hard stare **fell on a man standing at the tree line, a few meters away.

Suichi saw him before she felt him. The man was average height, with dark brown hair in thick dreads. He lounged against a tree with his arms crossed.

Laena backed up to Suichi to whisper over her shoulder without taking her eyes off the stranger. "Who is he?" she hissed. Suichi didn't answer, he just looked on with that cold stare.

He could see that this man wasn't human. He could feel his vibe suffocating the air.

And then the man opened his eyes.

The ground between Laena and himself combusted, and Suichi found himself being blown backward before he could react. When he heard Laena yell out in surprise he made sure to land on his feet.

Something feral crept into his eyes and face as he looked towards the tree line. The demon wasn't there anymore.

So the red-haired fox ran towards where the human was thrown.

* * *

Laena was catapulted backwards by the blast. She yelled out in surprise as she fell to the ground hard, and hit her head. She saw a figure through the smoke and her fuzzy vision, and hoped it was Suichi. 

No such luck. It was the mysterious person who was looking at her. Her eyes went wide as she noticed the dreads, and his browned skin. _Shit._ She said to herself. (Because it's not Kurama)

The man was on her in a instant, moving from where he stood to her with unnatural speed. She tried to scream, but his hand was clamped around her windpipe. "Are you the one?" He asked with a hungry look in his eye. His voice was low, but hoarse-sounding, like it wasn't used often.

She couldn't move. He pinned her to the ground so she couldn't kick her legs, and her right arm was under her.

"What?" she wheezed through her closing throat. She was gasping for air now.

The man looking into her eyes, and all she could do was stare back, staring into those endless black pits. He was searching for something.

Laena knew that. She could feel him rummaging through her head. And somehow, she could sense his presence, and effectively block him from entering her inner barriers. She felt his emotions with that link. And all that was felt when she blocked him was a wash of anger.

He pulled back from her mind, allowing Laena to become aware of her physical state.

There was something wrapping itself around her limbs and torso. It almost felt like rope. Then her outward vision came back, and she could breathe because the creature's hand was no longer around her throat. But now that she could look around, she saw that that hand was pushing up her shirt, and pushing on her stomach. Frantically, she looked around, and found that his _hair_ was the rope entwining itself around her, keeping her in place.

What was he doing? She gasped for the breath to scream when she saw a green flash and heard a crack, almost like a whip.

Then she saw Suichi standing a few yards away, with this feral look in his expression. His eyes had become dangerous.

"Suichi?" she whispered. Looking over at her friend.

The man's head snapped to his left to see what was his new opposition. Laena's eyes darted from Suichi's face to the creature's, and then she felt the hair ropes loosen on her ankles and legs. The creature hissed.

But then she felt something crawling around her neck from her back, and the creature snapped his head back, turning his terrible gaze to her's again. He had his teeth bared, and his expression was vicious. She met his blazing eyes, the pupils almost non-existent, and everything went black.

* * *

Damnit! Another Cliffhanger!

For crap sakes, man!

I love that song. It's my favorite Pantera song. God Bless Dime Bag

(All bow heads)

Ok! I never recieved reviews for chapter 6, I felt a little sadened. My Legions are slipping

Hiei: Your who?

Ackie: My Legions.

Hiei: Mmmm, right.

(Ackie scowls at him)

Am I supposed to do a disclaimer?

Because if so, it's really cliched and trendy.

I am not trendy.

Lucivar: Right, and who's the one writing a yu yu hakusho fanfic with-

(Ackie unleashes the power of her sapphire jewel on Lucivar, while tackling him to the floor.)

Ackie: They can't know who Laena ends up with!

Adios, Los Legions


	8. Sleep Now In the Fire

**The Fox glared **at the demon with his terrible dreads entwined around the human. _Damn._ He swore to himself.

The demon got off the girl, and stood. His hair was alive as it slithered around him, and picked the girl up. She had gone unconscious, _hopefully._

The demon leveled his fiery stare with the Fox's deceptively calm one, and spread his lips in an awful grin. "She's mine." The demon rasped with a light laugh. And then a wave of anger washed over him, and his eyes went ablaze again. "There's nothing you can do. Get out of my way."

The Fox stood his ground, just watching this unstable demon, reading his moves. He was ever conscious of the serpent locks that held the girl captive. Carefully biding his time...

The lack of movement or emotion from this opponent made the demon enraged. He was becoming impatient, and wanted the kill. So he commanded his hair to bundle up the human, but to have a little fun, he made the lock wrapped around her neck tighten, causing her to whimper in her oblivion.

The demon watched the Fox's eyes dart from him to the girl when she let out the groan. He grinned that awful grin again, knowing full well he could kill the girl before the Fox got to her.

But the Fox's eyes narrowed, not even lasting more than a millisecond, and he was gone. The demon let out a lash of explosive energy in the vicinity of where the Fox had been, but to no avail. He could still feel the presence of something.

Suddenly, there was another crack of a whip, and pain raced through the hair holding the human to the demon's head. He hissed in angry pain, as his energy crackled around him. He snapped his head around to see the Fox land with the partially bundled human, and lay her on the ground behind him.

The demon lunged at the Fox when he was standing, enthralled by his rage. The demon's face became a hellish mixture of beast and human features. He had fangs that were razor sharp, and a vicious expression. His eyes burned with anger and power. He was throwing all of his strength into this.

The red haired Fox rose his head to level his stare and vanished. Only to reappear, and meet the irate apparition halfway.

He slammed into the demon, in one gruesome assault. He could feel its' rage, its' power.

But he had more.

He felt the burning of the demon's energy on his skin, felt him trying to blast through his mind's barriers, but his youko self stood at the gates.

The demon snarled with rage as he lashed out, tearing with his claws and trying to sink his fangs into his opponent's throat.

The Fox let up a little, allowing his enemy to have the illusion of winning. Then he brought his arm up at lightning speed, and with a growl of his own rage, jabbed the flat of his palm into the demon's forehead, forcing the seed of his Death Plant into the creature's skull.

The slithering locks that had tried to grow back, and entangle him retreated, and the fire in the demon's eyes began to smolder, as purple blood began to ooze from the gaping hole in its' forehead. The vicious expression had turned stunned as the beastly features disappeared, and the limp body fell backward.

The Red-haired Fox turned from the molten body already with a seedling growing from its' victim, and looked towards the human girl. He noticed her clothes were cut up in a few places, and she had some blood stains on her shirt.

Alarmed, he ran over to make sure she wasn't dead. There was agash on her throat where the hair had been.

_That bastard._ He swore angrily. _His serpent head had fangs too._ He collected the critical girl, and ran with his Fox speed to the one place he could think of, that there wouldn't be any problems.

* * *

ok, yes, I know that you all want longer chapters.

You're all going to be angry with my for a while.

I think the next one MIGHT be longer, but there's no telling.

Muahahahahahahaha!

And, here's a mini history lesson for some of you.

Legions.

Kenshin, if you would please read this...

Kenshin: Legion; noun; any various honorary or military organizations.

Kurama: A Legion is a very large group of people, usually referred to in the Military sense. _'Legions' _wouldbe the plural, thus signalling many very large military groups.

Ackie: Julius Ceasar had Legions. That was what the Roman Army was made of. That is why they conquered basicallyall of ancient Europe.Lucivar, you commanded legions.

Lucivar: Yes, many _Eyrien_ Legions. (gets crazed look in eye)

Ackie: Basically, you are my tools to kicking everyone's ass. Only, I am your Admiral, therefore, we will beat everybody up with our ships in the Sand Navy.

Don't question my authority.

Merci./Gracias.


	9. The Place You're In

"**Hey Kurama! How's **it-" The black-haired boy stopped when he noticed the condition his friend was in.

(Remember, we (Lani) don't know who Kurama is...)

Suichi didn't even stop to acknowledge the Detective. He kept running through the seemingly endless corridor toward the Otherworld infirmary. His friend would die soon, if she wasn't taken care of immediately.

"Kurama!" the boy yelled again. He was running after him, trying to figure out why he was ignoring him. This wasn't Kurama's fashion, not at all.

* * *

Finally, at the end of the hall, he burst through the doors to the infirmary, and yelled "We need some help!" A few Other world nurses came out , and prepared a table quickly. 

"There's a gash on her head and neck. She's lost too much blood." He explained. The doctor came up, and examined Laena's limp self, before he collected her into his arms, and went into the intensive care room in the back.

A small child walked into the room, seeing the human get carried off, and turning to watch Kurama look on in worry, and uncertainty. "Come on, Kurama. Let's go." said the child with the pacifier, as he tugged on the boy's pant leg to lead him out.

* * *

"Kurama what happened?" The child asked. Then the black-haired boy barged in, his tone not helping Kurama's fayed nerves. "Hey, Kurama, what's going on? Why're you all torn up?" The red-haired boy looked at him, and then at himself, realizing he too had been scratched. "We were attacked, Yusuke." He said grimly. 

"Where?" asked the child. "In the park, I was walking with her, and then this demon showed up, and separated us, so I didn't see what he did to her." His hand balled into a fist. "I don't know why we were attacked."

"And I assume there's nothing left to question." Yusuke quietly finished. Kurama shook his head solemnly.

Yusuke looked down, and thought for a moment. "Koenma, will your services be able to help?" He asked the child.

"I believe so. She _is_ only human, and we have better technology then those human doctors, so I believe she'll be fine."

Kurama still sat quietly. _But what if she was hurt? What if he violated her?_ He asked himself. He berated himself for not being quicker; for letting his guard down.

"Yusuke, where's Kuwabara?" Koenma asked, just noticing the big mouth wasn't around. "He had to take care of his kitten, and then run some errands with his sister." Yusuke shrugged.

Just then the door opened slightly, and a certain short, spiky-haired fire demon strode in. He took one look at the men around the desk, and then noticed his friend's state. However, all he did to acknowledge it was give a hard stare.

"Hey, Hiei." Yusuke greeted tiredly. Hiei walked over to the window sill and sat down. "What's the matter?"

Yusuke eyed Kurama before saying "His friend got really hurt." Hiei cocked his head to one side. "How?"

"If you'll excuse me, Koenma, I will go get cleaned up." Kurama said quietly, and he turned and walked out of the office.

"This may have something to do with your mission." Koenma said, looking at Yusuke. "I'll send Botan to do a little digging when Kurama is open to telling more."

"Yeah," Yusuke sighed. "I'll go see if I can get Kuwabara out here." And he too got up to leave. Hiei looked once to Koenma, and then disappeared.

* * *

Only to reappear in the hall by the office door. He waited patiently for Yusuke to close the door, and practically shout in surprise. 

"Ahhh! What the Hell are you doing!" He yelled.

"Shut up." Hiei snapped. "What's wrong with Kurama?"

Yusuke sighed again, and said, "I guess he was out with this friend, and then they got attacked by a demon, and she lost a lot of blood. I'm not sure why he's so upset though." He finished, rubbing the back of his head. He saw the next question in Hiei's eyes and answered before the fire demon could ask. "And Koenma thinks maybe this could be the beginning of the event we're waiting for." With the barest of nods, Hiei disappeared again.

* * *

The fire demon quietly walked down the main corridor, towards the office. He was puzzled by his friend's worry. The only person Kurama was that attached to was his mother. As he walked, he caught a familiar scent, and stopped, dead in his tracks. _No possible way._ He looked about the hall, until his eyes settled on the last door on the right; the infirmary.

* * *

Half an hour later, Kurama had collected himself, and joined the Spirit Detectives for dinner. Koenma had sent a spelled message to the girl's family, influencing their thoughts about their daughter's whereabouts. Before he had gone to dinner, he went down to the recovery room, to see if Laena was there yet. 

The doctor had told him she would be fine. She was getting blood put back into her veins, and she should resume consciousness before daybreak. At least, that's what he thought. Right now, no one knew what that bastard had done to knock her out.

"Food." Yusuke drooled from his spot. Come to think of it, Kurama hadn't eaten anything all day, except for that coffee with Laena that morning. They were _going_ to go get dinner, and see a movie, but there was a major wrench thrown into that plan.

"What is the meal?" He asked, snapping back to the real world. "I dunno." Kuwabara shrugged at the other end of the table. "Hey, where's Shorty tonight?"

"Don't call him that." said the normally perky blue-haired girl in a scornful voice. She turned her attention to Kurama. "Are you feeling better?" She asked with a sympathetic expression. "Better, thank you Botan." Kurama nodded with a half-hearted smile.

* * *

"_Come on, Kirk. Wake up." Laena said as she shook the man's foot. He startled awake, and crawled onto the cardboard with Lars and her brother and father. All five of them began to push the cardboard across the lawn, towards the invading red-neck family. They had to get them out. "How do we get them out?" asked her dad. They edged up to where the enemy set up camp, and Laena stood up on the card board, and took in a large breath and screamed. "YES!" she said when the Red-necks fled in terror._

With a smile spreading across her face, Laena's eyes fluttered open, as she stretched on the bed. _Mmmm. That was nice_. She mumbled. Then she noticed it was way too bright to be her room. Her eyes snapped open, and she pressed herself farther into the bed. "What?" she said very loudly. So she sat up, and felt a draft on her back. She slapped her back, which made her flinch because she had cuts there, but the slap was contacted with skin. She looked down. "Whoa!" she yelled as she realized she had little more than the sheet. She began looking for her clothes...

* * *

Don't you think that Hiei should have been in the World of The Black Jewels? 

I mean, he's perfect. Perfectly irate.

Hiei: What are you talking about now?

Ackie: Oh, just how good you would look in a thong.

(Hiei's eyes bulge, and Ackie laughs hysterically.)

Ackie: No! No! I was kidding! I hate thongs. They are a disgrace to humanity, and degrading to whomever wears them seriously. Steve O, and Chris Pontius of Jack Ass do not count.

Lucivar: What was that about the world of the Black Jewels?

Ackie: Lucivar! (Hug) Um, I was just saying how Hiei should have been born into those times. Though, I'm not so sure he would have escaped the wrath of Dorothea SaDiablo. But maybe I'm just underestimating him.

(Bats eyelashes at Hiei)

Ackie: Yes, if Hiei were in that world, and were Blood, then he would have the Red Jewel. He'd be a Red-Jeweled Warlord Prince! Yee ha!

(Hiei stands kind of flabbergasted)

Ackie: And Kurama, he would have the Grey Jewel. His Birthright would be the Green. But I'm not sure if he'd be a Warlord or Warlord Prince. Maybe if it were Youko Kurama, then he's definitely be a Warlord Prince.. Hummmmmm.

And I could be their Black Widow Queen!

With my stunning Sapphire Jewel! But maybe my birthright should be the Green, and then I could be like Grizelle, the Gray Lady and stand against Dorothea! Muahahahahahah! Burn, baby, burn!

Rock on.

* * *

And in other news... 

Well, it was longer, this chapter.

I have to finish the next.

And I really did have that dream with Kirk and Lars. it was something else.

And I really dislike that papa roach song. I hate them!

Thank you for your reviews! (smile) They were nice, and pretty, and I found joy in them!


	10. Dazed & Confused

**After peaking her **head through the door, and having a nurse notice her, Laena got a new pair of pants, and shirt. Sure, they weren't emblazoned with Metallica, or anything clever, but they would do, I mean, the pants were black, and the shirt was blue. I could live with that.

She walked out into the corridor, slightly dazed at how she arrived there. The light from the many large windows hit her, and she squinted, trying to adjust herself. Then she turned around, and stumbled forward to see Suichi come out of a door farther down the hall. He looked exhausted.

"Suichi?" She asked unsure. He stopped, and turned around, surprised. "Laena?" he asked hopeful sounding. She ran to him, ignoring the pain in her legs from the cuts being stretched. She threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek, laughing.

"When did you get up?" He asked, his face lit up. "About 20 minutes ago. I had to find clothes, and then the doctor had to check me out, and now I'm here." she looked around a moment. "Where is here?" she asked genuinely baffled.

Just then the doors Suichi came from opened, and two guys were filing out. The first was a boy with heavily gelled black hair, who stopped, and stared at them. Laena looked questioningly to her friend.

"Urameshi, what's the hold-up?" a very deep, and obnoxious baritone rang out from behind the first boy.

Laena watched a red gerry curl bob into view. "Hey!... Oh." The boy stopped just behind the first's shoulder.

"Maybe we better go back in." Suichi suggested, and they all filed back into Koenma's office.

"Kurama, what's the pro...?" The child at the desk began to ask, but stopped when he saw the girl.

Laena looked towards the direction of the voice, and stopped where she was. _There is a baby sitting behind the desk. _"Whoa!" she exclaimed in a deep-pitched voice. "Did he talk?" She asked as she pointed a finger at him, while bending her head backward to her friend.

"Sit." Came a rather aggravated command from the direction of the desk. So, Laena, and the others obeyed, and moved before the desk to face the child. Now she felt nervous.

The black haired boy on Laena's left broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Hey, I'm Yusuke, and this oaf is Kuwabara." he casually said, as he jabbed a thumb behind him. "We never got your name, come to think of it."

Laena looked at him for a moment, and tried to remember where she'd seem him before. "Hi. My name is Laena. You look REALLY familiar." She barely shook her head. "Are you a sophomore? Yeah, you're one of the new kids." She said half accusingly, and yet half excitedly. She was just so proud that she could remember a face.

Yusuke looked back at Kuwabara with a confused expression. Then Kuwabara looked around. "Hey, where's Shorty? Shouldn't he still be in here?" Laena frowned, wondering whom he was talking about.

"I'm right here." Came a calm yet irritated voice that Laena knew all too well. A grin had started to spread across her lips as she turned and saw her woodland friend sitting on the window sill. "Hiei!" She chirped as she vaulted the 6 feet to the now jaw-dropped fire demon. She threw her arms around him, and squeezed the life out of him.

"Onna?" he gasped in a tight breath, and she let go. He looked up at the others, who weren't so subtly staring at the rare display. (quite unheard of for our little fire apparition.) So he cleared his throat and delivered a fierce glare back. Everyone, meaning Yusuke and Kuwabara, jumped and averted their eyes. Suichi had a small smile of amusement and relief spread across his face as he turned back towards the desk. The child behind the desk took it upon himself to get the hard part over with.

"Do you know why you're here?" he asked. Laena looked up, and shook her head. "Maybe you should sit." She obeyed, and walked up to the desk and sat next to her friend. "What's going on?" She asked slyly. "And why am I here to begin with?" she asked, looking around.

Suichi spoke up before the baby. "Do you remember what happened in the park?"

Laena got a confused, yet thoughtful expression, as she sat, contemplating for a moment. "We were walking through it. What else did we do?" She asked, looking hopeful to her friend. Suichi eyed her, his expression unsure.

The child took it from there. "Laena, you don't remember anything?"

"Any of what? What happened?" she asked, beginning to get worried. Why were they all so solemn? Damnit!

"Why is everyone so secretive?" she asked, making her tone harsh. "Where did these cuts come from? What is this place? Who are you people?" She made an effort to keep her voice down. She was losing her already frayed temper.

"Laena," Suichi began, "Yesterday, when we were walking through he park, we were attacked. Do you remember a man on the tree line?" Laena stared at her friend as if he had just grown another head. "What are you talking about?"

Then she remembered the other people in the room, and turned her slitted gaze on them. "Can we talk about his somewhere else?" She asked her friend in a hushed voice.

"No, we will talk about it here and now." came the stern voice of the Toddler behind the large desk. Laena's head snapped around at the tone and defiance, ready to deliver a death glare, but the look in his eyes, and his expression arrested those feelings.

"Kurama, I'm just gonna come out and say it." He directed the question to the red-haired boy, but didn't look away from the girl. "This is Spirit World, Laena." he said slowly, calmly, driving each word into her head. "It is a place where spirits come, and stand Judgment. There are many other worlds, such as the Demon Realm, and the Human one. Occasionally, a demon will break out of the Makai, the Demon Realm, and terrorize part of the human Realm. You, my dear, are a victim of such a case. Kurama," he said with a vague gesture towards her friend, "brought you here because you were suffering from a dangerous loss of blood as an outcome of this attack."

He paused for dramatic effect. (And I'm tired of typing large paragraphs.)

Laena stared wide-eyed, and open-mouthed. Everyone sat in silence taking in what the Child was saying.

"I," the Child continued, "am Lord Koenma, I am in charge of the Spirit Realm. And even though I still look very young, I have been alive for centuries." He paused again, watching the girl. "You have already made friends with two of my best demons, I see. And you have acquainted yourself with my Spirit Detective. I'd say you're well on your way to becoming part of my staff."

(Oh, that Koenma. He's just full of witty remarks. Ha ha.)

* * *

**Yusuke: This is stupid.**

**Ackie: Shut up! I already know!

* * *

**

Laena stared, speechless, yet again. She didn't really look like she was alive, much less taking the information in, and processing correctly. Then she shut her mouth, and pushed her lips together, and rose an eyebrow.

"Right..." she drawled. She looked to her friend, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Suichi, what did you do? This is a pretty elaborate scheme you've got going on..."

All he did was keep a constant stare on her, driving her to believe. Her expression dropped from skeptical to unamused.

She turned to look at Hiei. She caught his eyes, and he held the stare. "No." she whispered. She stood up. "No." this time she said it louder, with a harried tone of disbelief, while shaking her head. "What is this? A Pink Floyd movie? You people aren't serious." Everyone was silent, watching her, meeting eyes.

Laena sat back down, dazed. She began to rub her face, and then push on her temples. This wasn't happening. This was the sort of thing one read in a fiction story, or in the _National Inquire_. Not from your own friends. _Well, it's not like you hear a baby talk either, _she amended.

"Okay." she said slowly, meticulously contemplating each word, "Let's say, to make things easier for the moment, that I believe you. What does this have to do with my being attacked? And what two demons? Am I dead?" This last part settled on her like a fist in the gut.

_No! I can't be dead. I haven't lived my life! I haven't married Sebastian Bach's son! _(Which I intend to carry out. I mean, have you **seen** him?_) Okay, just breathe, breathe and take in, slowly... no. NO. I can't this is too much... I CAN'T BE DEAD!_

"Laena!" _Onna!_ She heard her name at the same time from three different voices. She snapped back to the physical world in an instant.

"You're not dead. After all, you're here aren't you?" she heard Hiei's sarcastic voice from behind her. She narrowed her eyes, and then calmed down a little, her anger giving her courage.

Koenma eyed her warily, and sighed. "What it has to do with is everything. If you were attacked, there could have been some reason behind it. Some motive..." he said more to himself. "Anyway, the two demons I mentioned are none other than your friends. And believe me, it is a surprise." Laena stared at him for a minute.

"Wait. No way you're talking about..." she stopped, and turned her head to the boy next to her. She stared into his green eyes, and could see something glittering behind the human facade. Then her gaze dropped to the floor, thinking of who the other was. She felt his stare on her back and went rigid. She slowly turned her head to face the garnet-eyed man.

Then she snapped back around to face the child at the desk.

"Why are you here?" she asked too quietly. Something in her finally shielded her rationality, and was preserving it, keeping it strong for the aftermath, taking hits like they were nothing but common knowledge.

Koenma leveled his gaze with her's and said calmly, quietly, "We have come to your town because of a weakness in the barrier between the Human Realm and the Demon one. I have sent in my Detective Team to find the weakened barrier spot, and to watch for any abnormal events."

"Then why are they at school?" she asked almost testily, leaning forward. Koenma rose an eyebrow.

"They _are only_ in high school. They need an education while on stakeout." Laena felt that shield slipping at the mundane response. She almost began to cry.

She sat back, content for the moment with the information force-fed to her mind. Her emotions felt extremely jumbled, and she wasn't quite sure what she was to do. But for some reason she was experiencing a wave of irateness. And she felt Suichi was owed that debt. As well as Hiei. Yep. Laena decided, right then and there, that she would just have to kick their butts.

* * *

Well, there you have it.

A poorly-written chapter, but at least she knows.

The next chapter is odd. Just warning you.

I went to New York today.

And I stalked a reli feminine-looking kid with clickie shoes.

It was fun.

Coffee...

And then a serious of unfortunate events ensued, and now I'm hiring Lucivar and Aubrey to take care of it.

My men...


	11. All Apologies

**After the** **mind**-spinning meeting in Koenma's office, Laena wandered the corridors of this Spirit World castle thing. Man it was big.

But not big enough.

She saw Suichi step out of a room, and delivered a death-glare, so menacing, you would have had to be skinless to _not_ feel it.

He flinched. It was kind of funny, because he looked like someone had just cuffed the back of his head. Laena stalked up to him.

"So, what do I call you?" she asked in a cold tone. She was so angry at him for deceiving her. She told him stuff,(_stufffff_, say it really slow)trusted him with things. And he couldn't tell her any of this? She would have-

ok. Well, maybe not. But she would have come to terms with the whole ordeal anyway!

He just looked at her, obviously hurt by her tone. "My name is Kurama. Suichi is my human name, the one my mother gave me." Laena waited. Patient, but simmering. "I am a kitsune spirit. I used to be known as Youko Kurama. The most feared thief of Demon World. That is, until I was hurt." He looked down, his expression pained. Laena wanted to hold him, and stroke his head, unable to stay mad at a face _that_ sorrowful. But she stood steadfast against it, and waited. "So, where did your mom come in?" She asked, making a point to soften her tone. "When I was hurt, I sealed myself into the human world, and into the womb of a human. And here I am. The same power, and knowledge, but with a gentler heart." He managed a weak smile.

Laena totally broke the moment with a swatted punch on his shoulder. He bared his teeth at her. "So why didn't you tell me any of this?" she said a little harshly, but it was obviously laced with amusement.

"How, exactly, were you to believe me?" he asked, testily. She provoked the regular teenage side of him on occasion, and now, with his nerves strung out, he would let his emotions drive him.

"I don't know!" she controlled her volume to just being loud. "But I would have accepted it in someway." Kurama rolled his eyes, now dancing with laughter. "Yeah, and you would have married the son of Sebastian Bach." Laena stood there, looking as if he'd smacked her.

"That's below the belt." she said in a mocking chastise.

Kurama sobered, and finally asked the question he'd been afraid of. "Do you forgive me?" Laena's face fell into a neutral expression, and she was quiet for a little while. Then she walked over to him, and kissed his cheek as she put her arms around his neck. "Yes. I do forgive you, Kurama." she paused for a moment. "Thank you for saving my life."

She let go, and stepped back, looking away. "Now for Hiei." she said menacingly. Kurama paled.

* * *

"Oh, Hi-ei..." came a sing-song croon. 

Hiei looked around, not visibly startled, but paying closer attention now. He felt a presence above him, and looked up at the window sill about two feet above.

Low and behold, there was the Onna, standing with a defiant stance, and a murderous expression upon her face. Her lips curved into an incriminating grin. Hiei went still, half expecting her next move.

Something made a noise down the hall, averting his attention. And in that instant, Laena took the chance and the element of surprise to leap from her perch. When Hiei turned back to face her, all he saw was her shoulder and then the ground.

She clobbered him.

She positioned herself so that his legs were straddled, and he couldn't get up easily. Once he was pinned, she went for the throat-_literally_.

Her hands wrapped around his neck, and she started yelling in a harsh tone "You stupid jackass! Why didn't you tell me you were a demon? Did you think I would have a problem with it? It would have explained a lot about the trees!" she began to shake his head up and down. "Why didn't you tell me you knew Kurama? Why is a it all a big hairy secret? You should have told me! Don't you ever do that again! Ever! Ever! Ever!" On each 'ever', she would almost slam his head tot he floor. Her lips were curled back in a vicious snarl.

In return, Hiei countered with a equally fierce snarl, and lunged forward. Laena never let go of his neck, but she did fall backward. Hiei grabbed her wrists with one hand, and put a clamp-hold on them that made her wince. She squeezed harder, and finally she opened her mouth in breathless pain, and let go. "Onna!" he rasped with enough edge to his voice to make her sit back. "What in the name of hell do you think you were doing!" he looked so irate at this point. Seems her temper gave her a little too much courage.

She almost backed off, but bristled when he gave her a searing look, and mumbled something under his breath.

"Did you think I couldn't handle it, or something?" She scowled at him. _Obviously, you can, when you're riled. _He thought dryly.

"Do you have another name I should know about?" she crossed her arms, and prayed he wouldn't want payback. However, all he did, with that angered look in his eyes was mumble "Hn." He dusted himself off, and looked back at her. "Do something like that again, and I'll feed you to the vultures."

Laena, of course, didn't take him seriously, and continued to scowl. _No,_ she thought, frustrated, _I think what I know about him is what I'm ever going to get_.

* * *

Hiei burst into The room Kurama used when he stayed at the Castle. (Or whatever.) 

"How do you live with that!" he roared. Kurama, just turned the page of his book with no response.

But then a small smile began to creep across his face. He moved his eyes to look at his aggravated friend...who was shredding something that looked like a pillow on the opposite side of the room. It was amusing, watching him be so frustrated over something Hiei hated so much.

"She's just so belligerent, and mad!" he turned to face the red-haired boy. "Do you know she accosted me in the hall?"

Kurama moved the book closer and higher to cover his widening smile. Hiei eyed him with a murderous look. "Kurama." he seethed. His smile widened. His shoulders were shaking with the effort to keep from laughing out loud.

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "And she was threatening me, shaking me. I don't think I've EVER encountered such a suicidal human!" He stopped, and paused. "She provokes on purpose! All the time! And all of my threats are like she never even hears them; she keeps at it until she gets her way!" he went back to shredding the pillow, with his teeth clenched.

Kurama couldn't do it anymore.

He burst out laughing, flinging the book to the floor. He was in convulsions by the time Hiei turned his wrathful stare on the kitsune. With his hands clenched into fists around the shredded pieces of pillow, and Hiei tore them apart. With a loud growl that rose to a snarl, he stormed out of the room, leaving Kurama gasping for breath on the floor.

* * *

Laena explored through the hallways of the Castle thingy. They wouldn't let her go home just yet, because of some health thing, or whatever. 

So she entertained herself by wandering the halls, and winding corridors of this Other-worldly Palace.

Course, it probably would have helped to bring a map, and _not_ experience a panic attack half an hour ago. But she got over it and figured she'd bump into _someone_. Eventually. Hopefully.

If God was merciful.

There were double doors on the right side of the hall. One of them was pushed halfway open, and sunlight poured through, illuminating the hallway more. Laena heard a few smacking noises, and then the clean sound of a blade slicing through the air. Here and there, as she walked closer, she would hear a few snarls, and grunts.

_Someone isn't happy._ A mischievous smile warped her lips. She sidled up to the doorway, and peeked through the crack. She saw a man dressed in black dash across the courtyard, back and forth, swinging his sword with a furious power.

Then she realized, as she moved to see better, that the man was Hiei. She watched him as he swatted at the wooden target, and then slashed his blade through it. _Several times. _Then he would run across the yard again, and the next thing Laena knew as she took a step out from behind the door, she was watching a ball of fire careen towards the target.

When the target blew up with a blazing light, and pieces of it flew across the yard, she jumped out from behind the door, with an entertained roar. "Yeah!" She yelled as she clapped her hands together, watching the flaming target.

Hiei snapped his head towards the visitor. _She wants to be killed._ He thought, desperately trying to leash his temper.

Ah, screw it. She irked him the wrong way today.

Laena, then realizing he noticed her, decided she probably wasn't his favorite person today.

Totally disregarding that fact, she decided, what better way to smolder that anger than to let him beat her around for minute? Or if she smacked him around too, that would be nice. (She's still angry with him for not telling her)

So she calmly walked over to where he stood. Shirtless and sweaty, he kept his usual cold composure with a frustrated expression.

Of course, she noticed the other part. She made a mental note of it. However, as any _non-suicidal_ person would do under the circumstances, she totally ignored his stare. (Sarcasm, dahlings...)

"So, this is what you do to keep your demon powers sharp?" she asked with a tone Hiei couldn't quite identify. "That was pretty cool, what you did to that target thingy." she made a vague gesture with her hands in the direction of the now crispy target. He just looked at her like what she said was so mundane, it was ridiculous. Well, if he wanted to play that game, she could too.

"Why are you pissed off at me?" she asked, finally cutting to the chase. She saw the muscles in his jaw tighten as he tried to control his rage.

His eyes did that slight widening thing, like he was going to strangle her for her mock ignorance.

Oh, she knew perfectly well why he was angry. After all, it's not only a blow to his pride, being clobbered by a human, but she also knew that he didn't know how to handle the situation. He couldn't take care of it like usual, or else she'd be a very flayed, decapitated human. And that would justbe frustrating to anybody.

"Here." she said, taking her coat off. "If you wanna knock me around to let out some steam, go for it." It was a sort of test. She wanted to see how much he tolerated her, and if she could trust him with her life.

_Please, God, let me live!_

However, once she dropped the coat to the ground, she took a stance familiar in boxing. Spreading her feet, she raised her fists, ready for him. Hiei watched her with a small look of shock under that cold exterior. _She is mad._ Was all he could think. But of she wanted to fight so bad, and lose a limb, he was plenty pissed (for lack of a better word), or wait, wait, _he would be more than happy to oblige her, in severing a limb..._ to go through with it.

Once he took his stance, she left-hooked him in the jaw. His head snapped to the right, as he took in what just happened.

"C'mon, I dare ya." she taunted. On the inside, however, she screamed at herself as many obscenities as she could think of for provoking him like that.

He turned his head back after a minute, and what she saw in his eyes scared the shit out of her. But she couldn't let _him _know that.

Finally, he retaliated by mimicking her punch, landing on the jaw as well. She stumbled a bit. He was holding back, but not enough to _not _leave a bruise. She went back at him.

They squared off a few times, sometimes she'd land a punch in the wrong place because he moved fast enough, but not because he didn't see what was coming. He landed punches almost all the time, but he wouldn't aim for her head, or her stomach, thank God.

Back and forth, _She's quick._ He thought to himself, watching her move around him. She seemed to have the grace of a person who had known this fighting for a while.

When she missed a block and his fist contacted with her hip, she tripped, and fell a little before Hiei swooped down, and gracefully caught her before she hit the ground. She was panting, clenching her teeth riding out the pain before she got enough gall to insist she could go at it again. _She is getting tired. _He thought to himself, again, as he watched her. When she tried to take her ground she winced and seemed out of breath. Hiei just supported her, as she caught her breath. "You should stop now." he told her.

She made an inconvenienced face and tried to get up again. This time, she made it, slowly, but surely, and took another fighting stance. "Come on, I'm not done yet. This is the most fun I've had since my dad stopped fighting with me." But something in her voice sounded to him like she didn't believe herself, that she could keep going.

And then he realized he felt a lot calmer now that he could let a little aggression out. She wasn't his target for his anger anymore. (Hiei's just angry at the world.) (la la la!)

"Laena! What are you doing?" that was a tone Kurama had never _quite_ used before. Laena winced at the voice, and dropped her arms. She slowly pivoted towards the red-haired boy standing in the doorway, with his arms crossed, and his emerald green eyes narrowed.

Hiei didn't think he had ever seen him look so... _brotherly_. And Laena. He didn't think he'd ever seen her revert to a child that knew they were in trouble quite like that.

Trying very hard to conceal the smirkthat wantedto break into view, he watched as Laena skulked over to where Kurama stood, with that very threatening posture.

* * *

Once it came time to eat, Hiei found himself at the large table in the dining hall with his fellow detectives. 

(Does anyone else feel like Hiei is WAY out of character?)

* * *

...And I'll tell ya why. **_Because Metallica got beaten out by Ozzy Osbourne._** Everything is WAY off kilter now. And on top of it, Ozzy got beaten by Tool, which is good, but then they got beaten out by AC/DC! Alice In Chains better beat them or I'm gonna have a conniption fit! 

Damnit! grinds teeth

Kurama: Calm down. It's alright. You got to hear that song.

(Ackie turns a hard, narrowed-eye stare on Kurama and he involuntarily takes a step back. )

Ackie: What song?

Lucivar: (yawning)_The Hell Have I. _

(Ackie pauses and straightens up)

Ackie: oh, right. The fun song! Oh, I feel better... But they still better beat AC/DC, or else there WILL be carnage...

* * *

Anyway, Yusuke had taken a seat on one end of the table, and was fidgeting in his chair. Kuwabara was looking _Dazed and Confused_ as usual, (hee, hee.) And Kurama and Laena weren't there yet. 

And Hiei didn't know if the Onna _would_ be joining them. He had never seen his friend quite so... _angry._

His nostrils flared at the thought.

A few seconds later, the large doors at one end of the room opened, and Laena shuffled over to a seat next to Hiei, and fell into it, shoulders slumped like shehad been pushed too far,and would bite.

Then Kurama followed, but with a cold stare on the girl as he walked to a seat next to her's.

They both looked rigid, like the minutest (mine -oo-test) thing would set them off.

Finally, Botan and Koenma walked in, took their seats at the other head of the table and paused for only a moment when they noticed the strict air around the opposite end of the table. Exchanging glances, they cleared their throats, and made themselves comfortable.

"Ogre?" Koenma asked quietly, "What is going on?" Jorge stepped up to the table and whispered something into his ear. "Oooohhhhh.." he said. Then he licked his lips, and asked louder "What is for dinner?" Ogre whispered something else, and then scurried off towards the kitchen.

Everyone was looking at the other trying to ask why the normally pleasant kitsune and their new acquaintance were so sullen.

Koenma cleared his throat again, only with his fist to his mouth, and then said loudly enough, "Alright, you two. What's the matter?" Laena looked up at him, and then slanted death in Kurama's direction. "I don't want to talk about it." she muttered, and crossed her arms. Kurama slanted a look in kind to her's, but remained silent. Koenma looked to the ceiling, and sighed. Hiei tried very hard not to show a smile. Yusuke and Kuwabara stared on in interest.

Ya know, the kind of interest one has during a wrestling match, to see which one will beat the crap out of the other, or the kind that keeps you from looking away from a car accident. They knew this girl was something else to not be on speaking terms with a demon like Kurama, and to get that type of reaction from him was unheard of.

Laena glanced up at the boys and narrowed her eyes even more. "What happened?" Yusuke asked slyly. This time he got the death glare from Kurama. "She was fighting with Hiei." he growled. Yusuke's mouth dropped. Kuwabara's face fell.

"I was fine. I don't know why you had such a fit about it." she shot back, looking away from him.

Ok, Hiei was trying really really hard not to smile.

"What are you talking about? You were stressing your body out." Kurama's volume rose a little. "I know how much I can take. I was going to stop." she retorted, finally glaring at him.

"No you weren't! I've seen you. You never give up at anything! You were going to keep on provoking him until he either dismembered you or your body collapsed! In case you're forgetting, you just nearly died. You still need time to recover!" Now his voice was more of a holler. And if his was a holler, then hers was a shout. Laena bristled. "He wasn't going to do anything to me!" Yusuke's eyebrows rose. " I could hold my own, anyways! And what difference does it make if I had a brush with death? It still doesn't make up for being bored out of your mind! How do you stay here for more than an hour? I swear, it's like I'm fighting with Shemus about this!"

"Why are you yelling!"

"I'm not yelling! You're being too serious! I'm not some doll!"

"Then what is that!" he yelled pointing to her bandaged arm, where a gash had reopened when she sparred with the fire demon.

Laena paused long enough to glance at her arm, an then barred her teeth, letting out a very viscous snarl. Her hands shook with the visible effort of keeping them under the table.

In turn, so did the Kitsune's, only his were shaking in frustration, and he growled trying to stop himself from doing anything he might regret.

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, and then realized that they must have been going at it back and forth like that all day.

Yusuke sat back in his chair and studied the two. He was just baffled at how this girl was alive right now to even say these things.

"Lasagna's done!" Ogre loudly, yet happily chirped as he walked into the dining hall, completely oblivious to the argument that should have ended with some blood-shed.

He was rewarded with two terrifying glares as Laena and Kurama's heads snapped up to him. Ogre winced and shrunk a little. "Ummm.." he weakly mumbled.

"It's okay, Ogre," Koenma said soothingly. "Just put the dish down, and walk away."

* * *

Good news, Alice In Chains won the Super Bowl Of Rock. 

There will be no conniption fit, rest assured.

* * *

Terror.

Oh, yes, I reread the last Author's comment on the last chapter. The last sentence, is supposed to say _Series_, not _Serious_.

Very sorry.

Yes, so chapter eleven!

Was it..._terrifying?_

I watched Some Kind Of Monster yesterday.

I must say, it was even better the second time. How I love those guys!

And I'm Queen Of the Castle, because my parents are in Washington.

And to top everything off, I was able to obtain Coffee this morning, and it was bliss.

I gave up Caffeine for lent, Yes, I am Catholic, ha! and soI am dragging because of my lack of such.

Yusuke: So what have you done in your parent's absence? Because you're just such a delinquent kid...(like he would be so articulate)

Ackie: I made Fusilli last night. Ha! bad-ass, right there! Well, I did do a fun skipping thing around the block today, that received quite a few stares from the cars going by. That was some fun stuff.

Man.

I still can't believe Metallica got beaten by Ozzy. Phshaw...

I told you, everything is off-kilter!


	12. Basket Case

** Once again, Hiei **approached his friend's door, but he had the odd feeling the emotions driving them would be reversed.

He casually pushed open the door, but did not enter. The door swung a little ways to reveal a pacing Kurama by the window.

Still, he would not enter the room. He knew his friend too well to enter the room when he was upset.

So he peered through the crack between the door and the wall. Sure enough, there was something green lurking just out of view.

"Kurama," he said quietly, still not entering the room. Kurama stopped, glanced in his direction, and continued pacing, but growled almost inaudibly, "Come in."

Hiei took a step, and then another, but kept close to the right side of the room, away from the plant taking over the left. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms, and cocked his head to one side.

"You fought with her." Kurama said too quietly. Hiei looked up. "You knew she wasn't well, and yet you still fought with her."

"Do not patronize me." Hiei warned, with a cold tone. "Besides, even if I told her to stop a second time, she wouldn't have listened."

Kurama paused for a moment, and then continued again. "You could have picked her up and put her in her room."

"Or I could have beat the crap out of her, considering the gall she has to attack_ me._" That remark caused Kurama to grin. He knew Hiei was far too proud to ever let anyone get away _alive_ after they attacked him. A human girl was a major blow, and even more, that fact that a bond was formed between them probably ran the fire demon's nerves raw.

Kurama stopped pacing, but now just stared at the floor. Hiei noticed the plant's growth on the other side of the room had stopped.

"This girl is turning our lives upside down." Hiei sighed. "And bringing out the best in us." Kurama added with a grin.

"Yes, what is this I hear about Spatchula-fighting in the park?" the fire demon asked as he stepped away from the wall.

* * *

The next day, Laena finally found the office that that Koenma kid worked in. Whatever. She was bored, and she needed to go home. Thank God this was the beginning of a week-long vacation, or else she'd have some explaining to do.

(Lucy!)

She smacked the door a couple of times before hearing a muffled sigh from the other side. Laena opened the door, and pushed through the opening to see piles of papers lining the desk, hiding the Prince of the Spirit Realm.

"Uh, Koenma?"

"Yes?" he tiredly responded, without looking over the stacks. Laena couldn't talk to a wall of papers, so she strode over to the desk. She peered over the barrier, and didn't see who she was expecting.

A brown-haired _guy_ was slumped over the desk furiously scribbling on something that looked like a document. A very thick document.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was looking for Koenma." She apologized with a confused expression. The boy looked up, with a frown, and gave a questioning stare.

"Oh, Laena. I thought it was one of the guys banging like that on my door." He sat up straighter, but was still focused on the paper work.

Laena was just kind of standing there, with an idiotic expression. "What's wrong? Laena?"

"Wait, hold on a minute. Who are you, again?" She asked finally collecting her wits. The guy's ( I hate saying that, sounds so _illiterate_) brow furrowed, and then he sat back. "Oh..." he drawled as he looked down at himself.

No way was that Koenma. He was a baby that, for some odd reason, ruled the Spirit Realm. Wherever that is. Who's this guy with the swanky hair? This guy looks too cool to be him.

"Laena, it's me. Koenma. I have two forms, and this is what I look like when I go out." (Snazy)

Laena pressed her lips together, and rose an eyebrow. "Why are you older now?" She asked, leaning on her toes.

"I don't know. I wanted to be PRETTY KOENMA! 'I think the _pretty_ brings out the sparkle in my eyes.'"

Little did she know, but Laena had taken a few ( a few as in like, 7) involuntary steps backward during the unexpected outburst, fear written on her features. From there, a slow, uncertain grin spread across her face, as she laughed nervously.

Koenma coughed, feeling very awkward, and straightened up. Finally, he rose from the desk, and came to stand by the side. "What can I do for you?" He asked with as much of a business tone as he could muster.

Laena loosened up, and remembered what she came here for in the first place. "Oh, right. I've been here for about two days, I guess, and now, I'm running out of clothes, time and patience. Can I PLEASE GO HOME?" She almost fell to her knees, and clasped her hands in a pleading gesture.

Koenma looked at her, a little amused, and relieved that was all she was asking. "Of course you can. Why didn't you ask earlier?" "The doctor said I had to stay." she replied a little sulkily. Koenma's lips twitched towards that of a smile. "You'll need an escort, of course." He added, "Ask one of the guys to bring you. You can go home whenever."

Laena was sohappy to hear she could leave, she couldn't help but smile. "Oh! Thank you so much!" She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. Koenma, a little startled by the hug, grinned nervously. "Can I come back again?" Laena asked, as she leaned back to look at him.

"Not unless something like last time happens." he said in a careful tone. Laena's face fell from joy to something bordering the line of defeated.

"Okay..." she drawled with a sulky tone. "Thank you for taking care of me." she said as she began to walk to the door. "Oh, and Laena," Koenma said, moving back behind his desk, "Don't tell anyone about what happened to you. Not even your family. Don't tell them about this place, or anyone you've met here." Laena's brow furrowed, but then a grin spread across her face, and she made a clicking noise with her mouth as she gave a mock salute with her finger, saying, "Gottcha. Our little secret." Then she pushed the door open, and slipped out.

Koenma stood behind his desk, with and exasperated expression, and sighed.

That Little Voice in the back of his mind was chanting something that told him he'd be seeing that girl again, and quite often, in the near future.

* * *

Kurama was sitting in his room reading a book at the window, quietly minding his own business. The 'sun' shone through the glass, and illuminated the lightly-colored walls. The whole scene was just peaceful, and tranquil. Nothing could disturb it, right?

Well, Nothing met Laena, and now they're both about to disturb something.

The door flew open, and in walked the girl with her army coat on, and an expression Kurama couldn't quite fathom on her face.

"Hi, Kurama." she casually, but sweetly greeted, as she strode over to the book case. "Whatcha readin'?" Kurama eyed her suspiciously over the book. "Man, you've got a lot of books." She qawked at the wall to wall shelf, scanning the book spines. "Laena, what did you do?" Kurama sighed, putting the book down.

She looked up at him with a hard stare. "_I _didn't do anything." she said, frowning. "I was just wondering if you'd like to take me home." She pulled a book out, and flipped through a few pages.

"You want to go home now?" He asked, now standing. She nodded her head, still focused on the book. "Ok." he shrugged. Laena looked up, and smiled. "I'll be returning this in a few weeks." she said holding the book up. "Just let me go get my stuff, and I'll be ready."

As she skipped out of the room, Kurama looked around, then out the window, and took a breath. _I hope that spell Koenma sent is still working on her parents.

* * *

_

As Kurama and Laena walked down the corridor towards the outer doors, Hiei came into view, exiting a room on the side.

"Hiei!" Laena chirped and ran down the hall to meet him. She grabbed his arm, and jumped up and down beside him. "Hey, guess what?" she paused only long enough for him to take a breath. "I'm going home!" she finished with a small noise of joy. (Eeeeeee...)

Kurama made it down the hall, and now joined them. He smiled at his friend, and the funny expressions the girl caused him to make. Hiei seemed more animated when Laena was there to antagonize him.

"Hey, you wanna come with us?" Laena asked excitedly.

_Not really._

"Come on, it'll be fun, and then you can see where I live, and look at my really neat room!" she had such a hopeful look in her eyes. "Besides, how long are you going to stay here, anyway?" she would tug on his fingers every now and then.

"Yes, come along, Hiei." Kurama said in a mocking, yet encouraging tone. He received a slanted glance from the prickly fire demon.

"Please?" Laena asked meekly. "Hn..." Hiei sighed, and hung his head in defeat. "Yes!" Laena jumped up and down next to him, and began to jump down the hall, suddenly full of energy.

"It'll be fun." Kurama encouraged, " And I won't tell anyone you gave in to a human, so don't worry." he added with a laugh. He was rewarded with a very vicious-sounding snarl. "When did you become such a prick?" Kurama just grinned.

* * *

Yes, this is a two-parter. This is Retarded Chapter prt. 1

The next will be Retarded prt 2.

My apologies to anyone who takes offense to the term 'retarded'

So, nothing is happening that is terribly extravagant here.

oh, right, I wanted to tell you of the Fan fic I read originally.

It's what inspired/compelled me to start this shitty thing.

go to and then proceed tot he search thingy, set the box on the side to 'story title' and type in 'A Bitter-Sweet Memory' include the hyphen, or else it won't work.

The story is hysterical.

And In other news...

To Night Rain,I know it's absurd that Metallica got beaten out by Ozzy. It's because die-hard fans like you and I were not listening to the radio that day, and therefore, could not put our votes in.

Tragedy, I know.

Merci!

Au revoir, mes Legions! (little accent over 'e')


	13. Home Sweet Home

**The three came** to the end of the hall, and stood before the great doors of the Other World Castle. Laena Blew a kiss to the walls, as Hiei and Kurama pushed open the heavy doors, so they could exit. (That was a retarded sentence.)

Anyways... So they stepped out, and then Kurama created a portal back to the human world, and they were on their merry way.

Laena, for the most part gawked at the means of travel. Some fancy stuff going on there. Hiei was his usual silent, and aggravated self, while Kurama stood quietly, humoring the girl when she would ask questions, and point at things.

Very exciting.

Finally, the trio made it to the Human realm. Just outside the Forest where the fire demon had taken residence, the portal appeared, and with a flash of light, delivered them onto the ground.

"Whoa!" Laena exclaimed. "Let's do it again!" Hiei rolled his eyes.

* * *

As the three of them walked down her street, towards Laena's house, it was about 11:00 in the morning. She noticed the absence of a car in the driveway, and figured her parents must have gone to work today.

Well, that was lucky. No explaining where she's been, and who the third member of their party was.

Once they reached the walkway to the front door, Laena grabbed both boy's hands, and dragged them up the steps, and into the front door.

She paused in the front room for a moment to smell the air in her home. How she missed the smell of crappy candles. Then she ran up the stairs, and took a sharp left towards her room.

From the time she reached the banister post, to the door frame, Hiei and Kurama heard a bounding noise down the hall, and then a second of silence before a loud **_bam_**, and a crashing noise ensued.

They looked up the stairs... well, ok, _Kurama_ looked up the stairs with concern, but their/his fears were quickly put to rest when a sound of pure bliss emanated from that portion of the house. The two demons began to ascend the stairs.

Coming to the door way, the kitsune and fire apparition saw the scene of what they were kind of expecting. To some degree. (Very bad sentence.)

There lay Laena, on her mattress, partially covered in a combination of clothes, blankets, stuffed animals, and papers.

Both demon's eyes were large.

"Laena, are you ok?" Kurama asked quietly. Laena's torso rose from the mass covering her legs, and she looked at the two and smiled. "Guys!" she grinned wildly. "I'm home!"

"You mean, this mess is normal?" Hiei scoffed. Laena narrowed her eyes, and then shrugged the comment off. She outstretched her arms in a gesture of presentation, but winced. She was stretching her cuts again.

"Well, this is my room." She was beaming.

("Beams are bad. Beams are exceedingly bad Wrong Shui. Steer clear of anyone who beams at you, or comes from California. They are invariably untrustworthy."- The Little Book Of Wrong Shui)

Both boys looked around the room, stupidly. The walls were plastered with posters, clippings, and pictures. Most of which were band posters, such as Metallica and Nirvana, and Korn. The rest were movie posters, and vintage ones. The pictures were paintings, or things she had drawn, and a few actual photographs.

Two speakers sat upon small shelves at both ends of a wall. A CD rack stood beside a table which was support for the stereo. There was a desk on the opposite side of the room as her bed, which was little more than two mattresses beneath a large window that almost reached the floor, if not for the three feet of wall beneath the frame. The carpet was a plush cobalt, and the walls were a spongy green/blue collision. The ceiling, on the other hand, was another deal. Every color imaginable was above their heads in the forms of randomly-placed geometric shapes. (I reli did paint my ceiling like that. Last Feb Vacation. It took me four days of dust, sweat, paint and primer. Not to mention tape and ladders. I hate ladders.)

This caused the boys to stare in awe. Laena's grin just grew wider. Suddenly, she jumped up and snatched the stereo remote from the table. Music began pouring from the speakers, and she said louder than the noise, "I'm going to go get cleaned up. If you guys want anything help yourselves. You can stay in here, or watch tv. Whatever."

She rose from what was left of the pile, and waltzed past the two boys and into the bathroom.

Hiei and Kurama just looked at each other.

"Have you seen all this?" Hiei asked as he took a few steps into the abode. "No, I've actually never been this far into her house before." Kurama replied, a bit preoccupied by the ceiling.

"Well, it certainly explains a few things." Hiei mused aloud. The sound of running water was heard from behind the bathroom door.

Hiei began to inspect the stereo when he got too close to one of the speakers. "This is what you do in the human world?" he asked as he poked at the buttons on the console. "Listen to music and leave things a mess? It is much different from the Japanese ningens." Kurama snapped to attention an the last comment.

"It's America, Hiei, they march to a different drum." Hiei rolled his eyes as he straightened up to look at the walls. Something on the desk caught his attention, and he strode over. Once again he bent over to inspect the object, but this time, he picked it up. "What peculiar items she has." he said as he turned around, holding a growling, guitar playing figurine between his fingers. Kurama noticed, and identified which figure the fire demon was carelessly holding, and his eyes grew large. "Whoa, Hiei, be careful with that. If you break it, Laena will be ripping." Hiei rose his gaze to the red-head's. "Hn. What is she going to do about it? I'll kill her before she can do anything to me."

"Kind of like how I _didn't_ punch you in the face yesterday?" Laena stood in the door, hands on her hips, with nothing more than a towel. Both guy's eyes became REALLY BIG. "Be careful with James." she warned, glancing at the figurine. She walked over to her closet and picked out a pair of pants, and a shirt. Then she seemed to feel the eyes bearing into her bare back, and snapped her head around to face the demons.

"Turn around!" she commanded in an aggravated, loud tone. Kurama turned, slowly, but Hiei stood his ground, putting the figure back on the desk. He narrowed his eyes in defiance. So Laena turned more to face him head on, and delivered her own menacing, narrowed glare. "Turn around." she commanded again, too quietly, as she folded her arms across her chest.

(Okay, Okay, I admit, this part is a little unnecessary...)

The glare she gave him was so searing, Hiei almost felt like he could practically feel it burning on his skin. She must be mad. "Hiei," Kurama warned. _Do not push a female. Unless if you want a repeat of yesterday morning._ The Kitsune projected in thought.

The Fire demon shifted his glare to the boy next to him, and narrowed his eyes more, before spinning around.

Laena rose an eyebrow in victory, and spun around to quickly grab her undergarments. ('nuff said.)

Then she peeled out of her room, and back to the bathroom, and slammed the door.

Both guys jumped at the slam, but turned back around to exchange glances. "What was that?" Hiei spat.

Kurama put a hand to his forehead, and rubbed his temples. "Thank your lucky stars there's only one of her." he sighed.(Yes! Say it agin, Kurama!) The song on the radio began to play the rigorous drum percussion that sounded like a rain of machine gun fire, as the screeching guitar solo ensued. _That's something to theme this latest drama._ Kurama thought sarcastically. But he was amused, none the less.

Finally, the bathroom door flew open, and out walked Laena; shone anew. Her hair was wet, but combed, and close to her face. She wore a T-shirt that had a picture of a man stroking a cat, and next to it a caption; "It puts the lotion in the basket." The usual pants choice were jeans, but these ones actually fit her, as opposed to the baggy ones Laena wore more often.

"Okay, what do you guys want to do now?" She gave a big smile. "We could watch a movie, or...PAINT! Yeah! Let's make a giant finger painting!" she waved her arms around really excitedly.

"But you just got cleaned." Kurama declined the offer logically. (I mean, could you imagine Hiei Finger Painting? Oh, it'd be so cute.)

I don't have a car, or else, I'd drive you guys someplace."

Hiei rose an eyebrow in annoyance. _Why drive when you can teleport?_ He asked sourly to himself.

Just then, a car door slammed outside, and footsteps were heard coming to the front door. Laena stood on her toes to see out the window, but then dashed over. She gasped before she got up and tore out of the room.

Exchanging glances once again, the two demons followed their human acquaintance, and stopped at the top of the stairs. They watched as Laena fumbled with the door, and then threw it open to reveal a boy about 20 years old, standing on the front stoop. He dropped his bags, and Laena threw her arms around him. They hugged for a minute, and then let one another go, Laena stepping back into the room.

The boy entered the house, dropping his bags on the inside of the threshold. He had brown, wavy hair, and was about a foot taller than the girl. The smile on her face made it clear that this was a person she missed a great deal.

Hiei recollected where he had seen this boy before, and realized he'd been holding his breath. It was the brother. He took a small breath to calm himself. ;)

"Shemus, what are you doing home?" Laena asked happily. "I'm home for the week. And I need laundry done." he added with a laughing smile. They embraced again, and Laena giggled the kind of giggle a sibling makes when they're over-joyed. Her back was to the stairs, and Shemus felt the presence of two people watching them, so he looked up. "Who're you?" he made his voice ring louder. It wasn't necessarily challenging, but it was a question to be answered. (No, really?)

Both boys took in a breath, as Laena turned around, with a slightly puzzled look on her face. Then some color left her face. She had forgotten Hiei and Kurama were there. Shit. This was that explaining thing she'd have to do.

"Oh, um, they're my friends, Shemus." she spoke up, standing between him and the stairs. She saw the look in Shemus' eye. The one that spelled trouble for anyone trying to scheme the younger sister. "Really." she said under her breath, so only he could hear.

"Guys, come down, and meet my brother." Laena called after a short second of the siblings staring each other down. As the two demons descended the stairs, Laena pushed Shemus backward to allow standing room. "Shemus, this is Hiei and K- Suichi." she told her brother, gesturing to each on their name. "They moved here a few months ago."

Shemus studied each, as if ranking them. After a minute, he rose an eyebrow, and stuck his hand out. "Well, to put up with her antics, you must like her. I'm Shemus." Kurama was the first to return the gesture. " Suichi Minamoto" he said pleasantly.

OH FOR CRAP SAKES

This is so corny. Maybe I'll just pull the plug on it now.

(Bpzzp)

that's it, no more story.

It ends here. I am in a writer's block and that is it. It's over.

Thank you for your support, my Legions, and your reviews. Maybe I'll start a new story, someday. In the future...

* * *

Just kidding. You have to learn to put up with my rants. However, I do understand that this chapter is stupid, so if you choose to no longer partake in reviewing, I will understand. I hope to God the next chapter is better.

Yes! Billy Idol!

* * *

Anyway, so Kurama greeted the older brother with his human name and a friendly gesture. Hiei on the other hand, was another story. "Come, on Hiei," Laena prodded, "This is Shemus, I told you about him." her tone was becoming annoyed because he was just standing there. This was so not the time to act like a jerk. Finally, she lost her patience and kicked him in the shin.

Hiei grunted from the pain, and then mumbled "Onna." under his breath. Shemus inclined his head after hearing the name. "I'm sorry, Shemus, this is Hiei. _Forever the charmer_." she said the last part with clenched teeth, looking right at the fire demon. Hiei studied the brother, and out of civility, _pshaw_, offered his hand for that assinine greeting.

Shemus eyed the spiky-haired little man, and shook his hand, but didn't ask any questions.

"So, what have you guys been up to?" He asked, breaking the awkward silence. His voice had a deep tone, still harboring the pitch of an adolescent, but one could tell it was dropping. His face seemed to be amused, fore there was always the beginnings of a smile at the corners of his mouth. He wore boots and black pants, with a tee-shirt. A heavy black trench-type coat hung over his shoulders, as his wavy dark brown hair seemed a little unkempt seeing how it looked a bit tangled this morning.

"Nothing." Laena replied innocently. "Then why is your hair wet?" he asked. Laena narrowed her eyes, and then said casually, "I took a shower." she shrugged. Shemus gave her a look she couldn't quite read, and then he shrugged it off.

"Oh, hey, can I borrow your car?" She asked, remembering that she had wanted to take her guests someplace. "Where are you going to go?" Shemus asked, knowing his sister too well. Kurama tuned in: he wanted to know what the girl was planning also. What kind of kidnaping she would enforce upon the two demons?

"Um, I don't know. What about the mall? We could terrorize the prissy kids." she added with energy.

Hiei rolled his eyes, as did Shemus, but the brother did so with a grin. So all four of them shuffled out the door, and piled into the car, and departed for the highway that would take them to their materialistic destination.

* * *

Shemus and Kurama ended up getting along pretty well. Hiei would just sit there, quietly, glaring at people in the stores, or at his own small group. Laena managed to drag them into her weird stores, the bookstore, and the record store. Not to mention a place that catered to her tastes. That was a given.

By about 4:00 pm (no, in the am.)they made it back into Kurama's neighborhood, and dropped him off. Laena thanked him with a hug, and told him she would see him at school. Shemus drove the rest of the way home, while Laena relaxed in the back seat with Hiei.

The fire demon watched with detached amusement, as the siblings would tease each other, and then joke about someone or something else. On the inside he had a small smile. However, deeper in his heart, he longed to do the same with his family. The family he'd been forbidden from since birth.

(oh...)

* * *

Finally, the three returned home. Laena's parents still weren't home yet, so she had time to talk with Hiei. In fact, she ended up walking with him the short distance to the woods.

"What do you do when the weather gets bad?" she asked kind of out of the blue. "I find a cave." Hiei nonchalantly answered.

"Oh". Laena replied, lacking emotion. "Isn't it cold?" "I'm a fire demon, remember?" he responded curtly. "Well, what if there aren't any caves?" the spiky-haired demon studied her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was getting at. "I don't know."

The girl seemed to take this in, and then nodded her head once, as if making up her mind. "Well, if you need a place to stay for the night, or if you need food, just come to my window, and I'll set you up." She smiled at him, as she turned to walk away.

The fire demon stood there, with a raised eyebrow, on the edge of the woods. As he turned to walk into the woods, a small smile crept across his face.

* * *

Don't you think it was clever how I named this chapter 'Home Sweet Home'? Oh, yeah, I'm pretty proud of that.

However, due to the phrase's conformity, and cliched nature, I must explain.

Some of you may have noticed, because you are alert and observant members of my Legion (s), that all of the chapter titles are song titles.

For the Motley Crue fans out there, I have named chapter three, and this one after Crue songs.

Though, the irony of it all is that both chapters are incredibly queer.

But whatever.

So, there you have it: Chapter 13, Retarded Ch. prt 2

Ha! And I have coffee, so it will lessen the pain of this.

Good Day, to you, My Legions!


End file.
